"They was trying to get the race over with" - Richard Petty defends NASCAR's decision-making amidst Denny Hamlin's jump-start fiasco in Richmond

NASCAR legend and seven-time Cup Series champion Richard Petty believes Denny Hamlin was not in the wrong during the recent Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway.

Joe Gibbs Racing stalwart Denny Hamlin drove to the 53rd NASCAR Cup Series victory of his career on Sunday in Richmond. The 43-year-old driver, who started in 13th position, pounced on the opportunity to steal the lead following a late restart on the 398th lap, courtesy of Kyle Larson's contact with Bubba Wallace.

However, upon closer inspection, it was discovered that Hamlin, piloting the No. 11 Toyota, might well have jumped on the restart minutes before he clinched the win, the second of his season. Fans took to social media platforms to express their displeasure with the situation, with many calling the JGR driver out for cheating.

However, NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty has different views on the subject. In a recent episode of Petty Race Recap alongside his former crew chief Dale Inman, Petty stated:

"Well I think he (Hamlin) started a little early from, you know, that standpoint. But when you get down and you've done a race that long, it's hard to make a judgement call. If that had been the first of the race, they could have probably made a judgement call. But under those circumstances, they was just trying to get the race over with."

Meanwhile, in support of Petty's claims, Dale Inman added:

"I really didn't see nothing wrong with the restart. Cause he was number one and he certainly got the green flag and the checkered. There ain't no question about that. So, it's in the history book now. We'll just have to leave it at that."

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NASCAR VP clarifies his stance on decision to not penalise Denny Hamlin

In a recent episode of The Morning Drive podcast on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NASCAR Vice President Elton Sawyer clarified the organization's approach when handling such contentious situations. He stated (via NBC):

"It’s a bang-bang call. It’s at the end of the race. We’re a live sporting event. We don’t have the luxury of a timeout and go to the sideline and review it and make that call."

Shedding further light on Denny Hamlin's victory, Sawyer said:

"If this happens at Lap 10 or 50 or 300 (of the scheduled 400-lap race), you know, the call could have been different. If I’m a competitor, I wouldn’t be playing that game every week. Sometimes you get the call that goes in your favor, sometimes you don’t."