By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service
Final Appeal Officer Bill Mullis has upheld a ruling that sanctions levied against the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team and driver Austin Dillon by NASCAR were acceptable – Mullis declaring Monday that he agreed with the National Motorsports Appeal Panel’s Aug. 21 decision sanctioning the team in points and monetary penalties and also reducing the suspension of one team member.
The penalty came following the Aug. 11 race at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, where Dillon was awarded the victory but then sanctioned for aggressive driving on the last lap that included rough contact with competitors Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. In penalizing Dillon for his actions, NASCAR subsequently ruled that although Dillon could keep the Richmond victory and trophy, he would not become eligible for the Playoffs.
Furthermore, NASCAR’s original penalty meant a loss of 25 Championship driver and owner points and a three-race suspension for the team spotter Brandon Benesch. These sanctions were upheld by the Appeals Panel on Aug. 21 with the modification that Benesch’s penalty by reduced to a one-race suspension.
And Mullis has now affirmed that decision and penalty.
“The data presented today from SMT and IDAS systems indicate that more likely than not a rule violation did occur at Richmond Raceway on 8-11-24 by the No. 3 RCR car on the last lap of the race. (Rule 12.3.2.1.B Eligibility, race finishes must be unencumbered by violations of the NASCAR rules or other actions detrimental to stock car auto racing or NASCAR as determined in the sole discretion of NASCAR.),” Mullis said in his ruling Monday, noting. “The decision of the National Motorsports Final Appeal Officer is final and binding on all parties.”
There was no immediate reaction from the multi-time championship Childress team nor Dillon on the ruling.
Going into Sunday’s regular season finale, the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (6 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Dillon is ranked 29th in the championship standings. The top-16 drivers in the Playoff standings currently includes 13 race winners plus the three next highest ranked drivers in the points standings.
