Ever since the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond came to an end, people have been drawing comparisons between Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Austin Dillon, stock car racing veterans Jimmie Johnson and Kenny Wallace included. The #3 car is not the only similarity between the two racers. Back in his day, Earnhardt never hesitated to take out his competition to win a race, much like Dillon did on Sunday. However, the current Richard Childress Racing driver stated that he is nothing like the seven-time Cup Series champion.
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Dale Sr vibes https://t.co/VMpI26bcXD
— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) August 12, 2024
Dillon has always been on the receiving end of fans’ criticism for not living up to the legacy of the #3 Chevrolet. The fact that his grandfather was the team owner also did not help. He snapped a winless run that lasted over two years at Richmond thanks to a highly aggressive maneuver on the final lap of the race. While it was somewhat Earnhardt-like, the 34-year-old believes the closest driver to The Intimidator in NASCAR today is his teammate.
“It never crossed my mind to tell you the truth. It happened that way. Yeah, I’ve seen a lot of races with Dale moving guys, pissing people off. A lot of people booed him throughout his career. I think Kyle Busch is the closest thing we’ve had to a Dale Earnhardt Sr. I’m not that. I’m Austin Dillon. I’m just going to try hard,” he told the media.
Dillon became the first RCR driver to make it into the playoffs this season thanks to his race win. The prospect of the team not having a single car in the final 16 seemed like a foregone conclusion with the team struggling with pace throughout the year. Now, judging by the team’s reaction to the flak received by the fraternity over Dillon’s last-lap move, the team still could care less about how they qualified for the postseason.
Dillon defends his last-lap antics at Richmond
Despite receiving a lot of criticism from fans and insiders, the driver of the #3 car remains unapologetic about his actions on Sunday. It did seem unfair that he wrecked two drivers to win a race and that he was reportedly instructed to do so by his team. As far as the 34-year-old is concerned, he just did what he had to do to win a race and secure a Playoff spot. He was also desperate for a win as it had been two years since he last visited Victory Lane.
“When I get an opportunity, I’m going to give it everything I got. That’s literally what it was that last lap. I didn’t have anything else in my mind. Didn’t matter what anybody said to me did. That was the one shot I felt like I had, and I thought I did a good job of getting it in there about as deep as I had all night and not spinning out myself,” he explained.
There might be repercussions to his actions, if not by NASCAR then by the drivers he wrecked to win at Richmond. The end of the regular season sure is turning out to be a dramatic affair. It remains to be seen how the remaining three races pan out as drivers prepare to battle during the postseason for the ultimate prize in the sport.
