RCR announce they will appeal Austin Dillon’s penalty decision - “Richard Childress Racing is very disappointed in NASCAR’s penalty”

Richard Childress Racing has decided to appeal to NASCAR against the penalties imposed on Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Chevy team. Dillon snapped a 68-race winless streak last Sunday at Richmond Raceway. However, the manner of his victory invited a lot of criticism from racing aficionados.

Dillon bumped Team Penske's Joey Logano and Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin out of the way seconds before crossing the finishing line, en route to his 5th career victory. It was also the first win of the season for Richard Childress Racing.

After considering the circumstances of his victory, NASCAR docked Dillon and RCR 25 points from the driver's and owner's standings, respectively. The series of punishments also voided his win from counting toward a playoff spot, though he gets to keep the win. However, the removal of his points means he has been relegated to 31st in the Cup Series standings.

Furthermore, the 34-year-old's spotter Brandon Benesch has been suspended for three races for allegedly radioing the words "wreck him", as the former battled Hamlin during the concluding moments of the 400-lap event.

Following this, in a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter), Richard Childress Racing said,

"Richard Childress Racing is very disappointed in NASCAR’s penalty against the No. 3 team. We do not agree with the decision that was made and plan to appeal."

As per an official report by NASCAR, the National Motorsports Appeals Panel will hear the appeal at a later date (yet to be announced).

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"I want to apologize..."- NASCAR VP explains delayed verdict on Austin Dillon's antics

The tangle between Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin, and Joey Logano happened on Sunday. NASCAR announced their decision two days later on Wednesday. Several fans questioned the long interval between the race and the announcement.

In a recent Zoom call, Elton Sawyer, Vice President of Competition at NASCAR, explained what took them two days to come up with a conclusion. The 64-year-old former racecar driver said that the organization had wanted to make the right call, and not take a hasty decision on the spot.

"Obviously, the magnitude of this decision was and is huge so we felt it was very important that we get this right," Sawyer said. "Starting Sunday night, gathering all of the data. Working again on Monday, all day yesterday. Looking at all of the SMT data, looking at in-car cameras, obviously, the audio. Gathering all of those facts, the meetings that we needed."

"Totally understand our fans, I want to apologize to them for this taking as long as it did. They've been patient through this process. So, I'm talking to them now, letting them know why it took so long to get to this decision," he added.

Meanwhile, the field is gearing up for the 24th race of the season, i.e., the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on August 18th. The 200-lap race will feature live on the USA Network and NBC Sports. Fans can listen to live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.