When Austin Dillon took the stage at Michigan’s FireKeepers Casino 400, the reception was far from welcoming. Fresh off a controversial episode at Richmond where he intentionally wrecked Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin, two of NASCAR’s most divisive figures, Dillon was met with a chorus of boos. Rather than shy away, Dillon embraced the villain role, responding to the crowd’s disapproval by surprisingly blowing kiss.
The incident at Richmond left Dillon facing severe repercussions. NASCAR stripped him of his place in the playoffs and deducted 25 points from his tally in the Driver Standings.
This reaction from NASCAR obviously stirred reactions from other drivers, who have mostly agreed with the decisions made. Despite this, Dillon and his Richard Childress Racing team have opted to appeal these penalties, a process scheduled for the upcoming Wednesday.
NASCAR’s appeal process is notably distinct from traditional judicial systems. It does not operate on a “beyond reasonable doubt” standard but rather on a “burden of proof” principle.
This requires NASCAR to demonstrate that a violation likely occurred and that the imposed penalty fits within the scope of the rules.
Speaking on the severity and formality of the upcoming appeal, Dillon expressed his anticipation and optimism for what is to come, via 5 Goats:
“Truthfully I think the best thing I can say right now is we’ve got an appeal process. I think this entire sport — I’ve got to be careful with what I give out right now for the appeal process.
“Because it’s going to be like a trial. It really is. Wish everybody could see it, television. Would be cool to be there. Because I haven’t really given my entire story of the game yet.”
Dillon also referenced Denny Hamlin’s approach to managing public perception through podcasts, indicating his intentions to ensure his team, Richard Childress Racing, secures its rightful place in the playoffs.
“I feel like Denny did a really good job on his podcast giving his side of the story adamantly this week, a couple extra podcasts than he normally does. For us, I also listened to his podcast when he talked about the appeal process and how tough it is. So, I’m going to do my best to get RCR in the playoffs where they need to be. Where they deserve to be currently,” Dillon added.
How NASCAR handles this incident will be watched by its many stakeholders, and could certainly set precedents for how violations are adjudicated and punished in the future.
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