NASCAR’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway was marked by controversy as it came to its end when Austin Dillon’s aggressive move caused Joey Logano to spin out, sparking a heated debate across the racing community. Veteran NASCAR personality Kyle Petty did not hold back, particularly targeting Logano for his reaction, adding that the driver had done similar things in his past, too.
Former NASCAR driver and current analyst Kyle Petty provided a detailed account of the events.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Richmond. Not really a lot to talk about – not. Quite an incredible race. I thought Austin Dillon drove one of the best races that I have ever seen him drive, until those last few laps. That’s a totally different story, and a totally different race, but he had a great car. But let’s go to the restart,” Petty said.
During the restart, Dillon, piloting the No. 3 car, was initially won over by Logano. The pundit explained how Dillon was pushed to take what he could from the end:
Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, reacts after the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway on August 11, 2024 in Richmond, Virginia. NASCAR legend Kyle Petty has called out the driver for his reaction to the end of the Cook Out 400.
Sean Gardner/Getty Images
“We go to the restart, and we’ve got the No. 3 car of Austin Dillon on the inside, and oh, the No. 22 car of Joey Logano on the outside. Austin Dillon gets out-drove. He doesn’t get out-run, he gets out-drove on the restart.
“The great race that he had driven up to that point, throw it out the window, because now you beat Austin Dillon. You’ve got to do something drastic, and we saw him do something drastic. He comes from four or five car lengths back, going into Turn 3, on the final lap, he gets into Joey Logano and spins him.”
Petty then voiced his displeasure over Logano’s comments on the driving from the North Carolina driver.
“Don’t whine Joey Logano, we’ve seen you do it before. Denny Hamlin, he can’t say much either. They’ve done the same thing.”
The incident also sparked a discussion on the evolving culture of NASCAR and how it may be changing and how viewers may have perceived it. Petty passionately expressed his dismay:
“If you’re a new fan, you love that finish. And when I say new fan, last 25 years. If you’re an old fan, you’re embarrassed of that finish, because that’s not what NASCAR was built on, that’s not what NASCAR was.
“I don’t care you millennials and all you people out there, this is not the platform that my dad or Dale Earnhardt Sr. and those guys raced on. They didn’t just wreck, they raced. This is all about wrecking in these last few laps.”
He concluded:
“So, moving into the future, I guess it’s no holds barred, wild, wild west, anything goes. We’ll see. Congratulations. Austin Dillon, headed for the playoffs.”
