NASCAR Appeals Panel Upholds Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Penalties

A three-person National Motorsports Appeals Panel Wednesday upheld the penalties NASCAR assessed team owner Richard Childress and driver Austin Dillon that allowed Dillon to keep his Richmond victory but not be playoff eligible.

The panel also upheld the loss of 25 driver points and owner points.

In rendering their decision, appeals panel members Tom DeLoach, Kelly Housby and Tommy Wheeler said, “NASCAR represents elite motorsports and, as such, its drivers are expected to demonstrate exemplary conduct if its series’ championships are to be validated. In this case, the ‘line’ was crossed.”

Childress and Dillon have the right to appeal the decision to the National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer.

In regard to Dillon’s spotter Brandon Benesch, who told Dillon to “wreck him” as the Cup driver spun Joey Logano and then repeated the directive as he clipped Denny Hamlin and put him into the wall, the panel ruled his three-race suspension was “excessive” and reduced it to one. They ruled the suspension for this past weekend’s race at Michigan was “time served.” Benesch is now eligible to spot for the upcoming race at Daytona.