Joey Logano might have been on the receiving end of Austin Dillon’s final lap antics at Richmond, however, he himself could get into trouble with NASCAR for his actions on pit road. As the race ended and cars came down pit road, the #22 was not in line with the rest. He was on the inside, a lot closer to the pit boxes. As he approached the #3 Chevy driver’s pit box, Logano aggressively stopped in front of Dillon’s family and crew members who were seemingly getting ready to celebrate and burned his tires.
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NASCAR officials present on the scene did not take kindly to the two-time Cup Series champion’s show of displeasure. It drew a reaction from the fraternity as well as eminent motorsports journalist Jeff Gluck who said that his actions warranted a $50,000 fine.
Yeah that’s really bad. Definitely deserves a penalty for that. pic.twitter.com/B3YhktHEB5
— BrakeHard (@BrakeHardBlog) August 12, 2024
However, the NASCAR fraternity and notable analysts such as Gluck himself also advocated that people should not have been on a live pit road in the first place. With cars moving to their final positions after the race and tempers boiling over inside the cockpits, a slight misjudgment on anyone’s part could lead to catastrophe.
Formula One saw something similar last season at the Azerbaijan GP as people stormed the pits when Esteban Ocon came in on the final lap for a tire change. It drew global outrage and the FIA had to apologize to the Alpine driver. Circumstances at Richmond might not have been the same but a disastrous outcome could very well have occured. Changes certainly need to be made to improve safety on the pit road.
Fans express concerns over pit road safety
As per reports, it was race winner Austin Dillon’s family in the way of the driver of the #22 Ford Mustang. As Logano went on to show his displeasure with the way he was raced, fans on social media were taken aback as they expressed their safety concerns. “Allowing people on pit road while it’s active is a complete disregard for safety by NASCAR,” one user commented. “That’s not good… but why are so many ppl on pit road… and a f***** baby… wtf,” quipped another.
Some fans felt that Logano should be held accountable for his actions as he saw the crowd and drove towards them regardless. “If I’m Austin Dillon, I beat that SOB to that toupee falls off,” one fan wrote. “Dude almost hit that woman with a baby,” quipped another. Others felt that people should not be allowed on pit road as the cars made their way in. “Get them off of pit road while cars are still moving. 100% disagree,” one fan opined.
It remains to be seen how NASCAR reacts to what has been a hectic weekend in terms of on-track action as well as off-track officiating. Many presume a host of penalties are incoming for all the involved parties.
