"I’m not that": Austin Dillon plays down Dale Earnhardt Sr. parallels after controversial win at Richmond

After Austin Dillon won at Richmond, a reporter noted the style in which his first win of the season came. Seconds before the race ended, Dillon made contact with Joey Logano first and then with Denny Hamlin.

During the post-race press conference, the reporter mentioned that the driver who made Dillon's #3 car famous also won a few races in a similar way.

The RCR driver was asked whether he had Dale Earnhardt Sr. in mind, to which he simply replied that such a thought never occured to him.

"It never crossed my mind to tell you the truth. It happened that way. Yeah, I seen a lot of races with Dale moving guys, pissing people off. A lot of people booed him throughout his career. I think Kyle Busch is the closest thing we’ve had to a Dale Earnhardt Sr. I’m not that," Dillon said [at 11:45].

"I’m Austin Dillon. I’m just going to try hard. When I get an opportunity, I’m going to give it everything I got. That’s literally what it was that last lap. I didn’t have anything else in my mind. Didn’t matter what anybody said to me, did," he added.

Dillon claimed that what he did in the last few moments of the race was the only opportunity he had, and as per him, he did "a good job" of placing his #3 Camaro as deep as he had "all night without spinning out" himself.

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Kenny Wallace saw shades of Dale Earnhardt in the aftermath of Austin Dillon winning at Richmond

Speaking after the race at Richmond through his YouTube channel, former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace shared his thoughts on Austin Dillon's win.

As per the veteran, what he saw Dillon do in the closing moments of the race was reminiscent of what Dale Earnhardt and his team would do.

"Anytime the late great Dale Sr. did something like that... we watched Senior do it. You saw Chocolate Myers and the Flying Aces, they were there to back up Dale Sr. So, what I see right there, I'm old enough that I see shades of the past," Wallace said.

The former NASCAR driver then said that what Dillon did to Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano was wrong, before once again pointing to the past as he mentioned the Dale Sr. - Terry Labonte incident from Bristol in 1999.

It's worth mentioning that his Richmond win is Austin Dillon's first since August 28, 2022 at Daytona. Prior to this victory, the only good results he has had this season are a couple of top-10 finishes which reflected in his place on the standings before Richmond, which was 32nd.

After Sunday's race, Dillon has gone from there to being in the playoffs.