It’s a ruling that Richard Childress, the 78-year-old team owner of Richard Childress Racing thinks has, “changed NASCAR racing on the final lap, forever,” and it’s one that he’s still not over.
At Darlington Raceway on Saturday, Childress spoke to several media members and gave his honest thoughts about the two failed appeal attempts by Richard Childress Racing to overturn penalties assessed to Austin Dillon and the No. 3 race team following a win in the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway last month.
“Their ruling has changed NASCAR racing on the final lap, forever,” Childress stated. “The drivers, now, know where the line is, or they think they do. If you go in a car length and 2-3-quarters was exactly how far back he was, and the other car slows down three miles-per-hour, on the last lap, you’re going to bump him a little to get him up the race track. Is that over now? What is the line?
“And then if you go to racing somebody off of the corner, and they get loose and get into you, then does that mean you’re out of the Chase? That’s all I’ve got to say about the ruling. But it has changed racing for a win for sure.”
For Childress, the disappointment, and anger about the penalty and subsequent appeal attempts have multiple layers. One on hand, it drops his Richard Childress Racing team back down to no cars in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, with just one race left for Dillon or Kyle Busch to win their way into the postseason. On top of that, Dillon is Childress’ grandson, which adds fuel to Childress’ fire, undoubtedly.
But at the end of the day, the sanctions from NASCAR, which don’t have a monetary fine listed among them, actually penalized Childress’ team further than any monetary fine has ever punished a NASCAR Cup Series team. Childress says the ramifications equate to a seven-figure loss for Richard Childress Racing.
“Over a million dollars, so, that’s what it boils down to. [The] Largest fine ever in NASCAR,” Childress groaned. “I’m just disappointed, disappointed, disappointed. That’s all I can say. When I write my book, that will be a chapter in it. On second thought, I might write a second book and publish it, it’ll be 60 years in NASCAR after I’m gone.”
While he hasn’t pursued legal action, Childress says he consulted with lawyers, who looked at each argument in the debate. According to Childress, the lawyers told him that Richard Childress Racing would have won a legal case involved with the penalty.
We’ll never know if that’s true unless the case does actually go to trial someday, but one thing is for sure, in NASCAR’s court, which is maintained by the National Motorsports Appeals Panel, RCR was found guilty as charged, and now they need to try to win this weekend’s race to recoup their losses.
One Response
Richard after years of the biggest star in the sport was allowed to do the same things, but with more expertise the hammer was finally dropped on Austin for good reasons. Remember how he crashed Almirola to win the Daytona 500 on the backstretch? Nascar has finally seen enough of the 2nd class racing your organization has been famous for. JMO however millions more who may not want to voice their opinions believe the same thing. I have no trouble saying it because racing is not about bullying on the track, only in the pit area where the altercations were settled! TOO BAD RCR FOR THE ROSE COLORED GLASSES WORN FOR 45 YEARS.