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The Richard Childress Racing driver drove his way to the front of the field with 28 laps to go when he cleared Hamlin for the lead.
Dillon was cruising until the penultimate lap when Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Josh Berry Collided to bring out the yellow and send the race to overtime.
Cars pitted for fresh tyres and that set up a two-lap dash to the finish. Dillon led Logano to the green flag having climbed to second in the pit stop sequence.
Logano, however, was better on the restart and took the lead out of turn two. The Team Penske driver took the white flag before Dillon put his nose to the rear bumper of Logano.
The #22 spun into the wall and that opened the door for Hamlin to go through and take the lead momentarily.
Dillon, who slid up the track trying to bump Logano out of the way, veered back down and hooked the right rear of Hamlin.
The #12 slammed into the wall, clearing the way for Dillon to take the chequered flag.
“Whatever it takes.”@austindillon3 on the closing moments at @RichmondRaceway. pic.twitter.com/LskwT8qhZD
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 12, 2024
With victory, it ended a 68-race drought for Dillon and Richard Childress Racing.
Asked whether the move was fair, Dillon replied: “I don’t know man. It’s been two years and this is the first car I’ve had a shot to win. I felt like with two to go, we were the fastest car.
“I hate to do that, but sometimes you just have to have it. I’ve got to thank the good lord above. It’s been tough over the last two years. I care about RCR, these fans, my wife, and this is my first [win] for my baby girl. It means a lot. I hate it, but I had to do it.”
Logano was left irate by the move.
“It’s chicken shit, there’s no doubt about it,” he said.
“He’s four car lengths back, not even close. Then he wrecks the #11 to go along with it.
“Then he goes up there to thank god and praise everything with his baby, it’s a bunch of BS. It’s not even freaking close.
“I get it, bump and run. I get it. I didn’t back up the corner at all. He just came in there and drove through me. It’s ridiculous that that’s the way we race. Unbelievable.
“I get bump and runs, I do that. I would expect it, but from four car lengths back he was never going to make the corner. He wrecks the other car, he wrecks the #11 to go with it.
“What a piece of crap.”
Another look at the contact coming to the finish line. pic.twitter.com/qG276PviFz
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 12, 2024
Asked if there would be retaliation for the crash in the playoffs, Logano offered three ominous words.
“Wait and see.”
Despite hitting the wall hard, Denny Hamlin was classified second while Logano was 19th.
The win propels Dillon from 32nd in the drivers’ championship into the playoffs. Kyle Larson, William Byron, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Hamlin, and Dillon have all won their way into the playoffs.
NASCAR returns at Michigan International Speedway on August 19.
