Ryan Vargas recalls NASCAR’s $60,000 fine against Carl Edwards amid Austin Dillon’s performance at Richmond
NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Dillon cruised to victory in the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway after a controversial performance with Joey Logano. After the race, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series driver Ryan Vargas compared Dillon’s win to a 2010 Xfinity Series event.
Dillon was the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet. The 34-year-old player has won five championships in his 14-year career. Additionally, he is the 2013 Xfinity Series Champion and the 2010 World Camper Truck Series Champion.
In the final lap at Richmond, Dillon finished P2 behind Penske’s Logano. He made contact with the rear of the Ford Logano, spun out, and slammed into the wall. The pull slowed Dillon and gave JGR driver Denny Hamlin a free pass. As Hamlin passed him, Dillon called the No. 11 car. This sent Hamlin to the wall and Dillon took P1 right before the end.
Here’s a look at the controversial event last season (via NASCAR on NBC):
Immediately after the finish, Vargas shared a post on X (pre-Twitter) that described a similar situation that occurred in the 2010 Xfinity Series, when Carl Edwards separated from Brad Keselowski at the International Gateway . Edwards was fined $25,000 and given 60 driving points for the incident. Keselowski and Edwards were placed on probation after an altercation between them on the floor.
Here’s a look at the incident, similar to what we saw in Richmond on Sunday:
Austin Dillon’s win at Richmond marked his first top-five finish of the season. By winning the race, he had moved up from P32 to P26 in the drivers’ standings and secured a place in the 2024 final. It’s going to be a questionable move” – Ryan Vargas on Austin Dillon’s Cook Out 400 win
RCR’s Austin Dillon and JGR’s Denny Hamlin battled hard in the final stages of the race. However, Dillon had a risky move before he crossed the finish line. Of course, NASCAR installed two sets of tires with more grip but higher wear than stock tires at Richmond, along with six sets of Goodyear tires.
Vargas talked about the drivers’ strategic calls in the Cook Out 400 under the new conditions and shared his thoughts on the race’s conclusion.
“What sucks to me most is that tonight’s race was genuinely the most enthralling strategy race I’ve seen in YEARS. That alternate tire did wonders. Now it’s just gonna be overshadowed by a… questionable move. Dang.”
