Austin Dillon's controversial win powers NASCAR 2024 to record-breaking season

Austin Dillon's stunning victory at Richmond Raceway on Sunday night sent shockwaves through the NASCAR Cup Series. The win, his first in nearly two years, propelled the 2024 season into uncharted territory.

The first race after NASCAR's two-week break ended in chaos, with Dillon securing a win in a controversial finish. A late-race crash triggered an overtime restart, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. Joey Logano seized the lead but was spun out after contact with Dillon, who also collected Denny Hamlin in the incident.

Dillon's victory ended a nearly two-year winless streak and added another name to the growing list of drivers breaking a winless streak this season. This win marked the seventh time this season a driver has snapped a streak of 40 or more races, tying the record for most in a single season. Another victory by a winless driver would break this record.

If Justin Haley, Chase Briscoe, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Erik Jones, Bubba Wallace, Kyle Busch, or Martin Truex Jr. win a race before the end of the season, it would establish a new record for the most drivers breaking winless streaks of 40 or more races in a single season.

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Austin Dillon and Richard Childress defend the win

The 34-year-old Austin Dillon, who drives the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing, was satisfied after the victory. This win gives Dillon and RCR an opportunity to compete for the championship.

Dillon said in a press conference after the race that he was willing to do anything to win since he hadn't won in two years. Additionally, he explained that he didn’t mean to wreck Denny Hamlin and that it was just a byproduct of him trying to get past Joey Logano.

“I’ve seen Denny and Joey make moves that have been running people up the track to win. This is the first opportunity in two years for me to be able to get a win. I drove in there and kept all four tires turning across the start/finish line. …remember when Joey said ‘short-track racing’. He knows what it was,” Dillon said.

Dillion's grandfather and team owner, Richard Childress, supported the driver's actions.

"It’s one of those deals that when it comes down to winning a race and you’re in that position, you’re hungry, you do what it takes. That’s what I told him all his life,” Childress said.

Dillon escaped an immediate penalty for his actions, with NASCAR reserving judgment until Tuesday. A decision to strip him of the win would be unexpected.