Steve Phelps on Austin Dillon's Richmond wrecks: 'There was a line that was crossed'

NASCAR President Steve Phelps opens up about Austin Dillon wrecking Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin to win the Richmond Cup Series race. While speaking to Kevin Harvick on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Phelps shared his reaction to the crash and explained the appeal process.

“There was a line that was crossed in our opinion,” Phelps said. “They will have the ability to appeal it, and they will. I don’t know what’s going to happen there. Again, it’s a decision that ultimately a recommendation is made by the competition group and then it goes up to senior management. If we don’t believe that they’ve got it wrong, like significantly wrong, we will not overturn their decision. It is their decision.

“They are experts in this space. Did it go to Steve and Jim and myself, it did. We weighed in and we thought they got it right. That’s why the penalty was issued.”

Dillon and Richard Childress Racing (RCR) were penalized by NASCAR, losing 25 driver’s and owners’ points and their playoff berth was revoked. The first appeal was this week, and NASCAR ruled against Dillon and RCR. Another appeal is set for Monday.

Steve Phelps shares more on Austin Dillon wreck

Phelps also told Harvick that NASCAR looked at the video of the incident and used other data before announcing the penalty.

“I would, I think, as we were looking at the data and what happened, it happened so quickly, but you had two incidents in a split second, right? Turn 3 you had an incident, Turn 4 you had an incident, and then the race was concluded. I think the bump and run or slam and run or whatever it was, right? I won’t suggest that there wouldn’t have been a penalty, because I have no idea,” Phelps explained.

“You had a second move and the second move was a hook, in our opinion, right? Which was both the eye test as well as the data would suggest that’s what happened. It’s hard to hide from the data, right? And he put a competitor also at risk. Denny took a hard hit. One of the hardest hits I think he’s had in this Next Gen car. There was a line that was crossed in our opinion.”