NASCAR: Austin Dillon's final appeal denied as Richmond win won't get him into the playoffs

Austin Dillon’s Richmond win officially won’t get him into the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Richard Childress Racing’s final appeal of the penalty assessed to Dillon was denied on Monday by NASCAR’s final appeals officer. Dillon’s win on Aug. 11 qualified him for the playoffs after he wrecked both Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin before the finish line. But NASCAR said days after the race that Dillon’s actions were illegal and stripped him of the playoff berth that came with the win.

Dillon is still officially recognized as the winner of the race.

In a statement, NASCAR’s final appeals officer Bill Mullis said “the data presented today from SMT and IDAS systems indicate that more likely than not a rule violation did occur at Richmond Raceway on 8-11-24 by the No. 3 RCR car on the last lap of the race.”

In its penalty to Dillon, NASCAR had cited its rules allowing itself broad discretion to determine what actions detrimental to racing are. RCR's initial appeal of Dillon's penalty was denied last week.