In a shocking turn of events, NASCAR has announced that it will be revoking Austin Dillon's automatic playoff berth following a controversial finish at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. Despite the race win standing, both the driver and owner playoffs will no longer include Dillon.

The incident in question occurred during a two-lap shootout, where Joey Logano had taken the lead from Dillon. However, in a dramatic turn of events on the final lap, Dillon made a bold move by driving deep into Turn 3 and colliding with Logano, sending him into the outside wall. Moments later, Denny Hamlin attempted to challenge Dillon for the lead but was also hooked into the wall by the Richard Childress Racing driver. Despite this chaos, Dillon crossed the finish line first as the caution flag waved. Prior to this victory, Dillon was ranked 32nd in points.

The decision by NASCAR to strip Dillon of his automatic playoff berth has been met with widespread criticism from drivers. Hamlin publicly expressed his disapproval and called for the win to be taken away. However, should Dillon secure another victory, he will still be eligible to make it into the playoffs.

This move by NASCAR marks a significant and unprecedented action by the sanctioning body. Previously, during the 2013 season, Martin Truex Jr. had a playoff spot taken away due to the 'SpinGate' scandal at Richmond. In this instance, both Dillon and his team have been penalized with a deduction of 25 points each.

Additionally, NASCAR has announced a suspension for Dillon's spotter, Brandon Benesch. Benesch will be barred from participating in the next three points-paying events, extending until September 1, 2024. The suspension comes as a result of Benesch's radio communication urging Dillon to "wreck him" just before Hamlin was sent into the wall.

Richard Childress Racing has expressed their disappointment with NASCAR's penalty and plans to appeal the decision. In a statement released by the team, they stated, "Richard Childress Racing is very disappointed in NASCAR's penalty against the No. 3 team. We do not agree with the decision that was made and plan to appeal."

Meanwhile, Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford, was visibly upset following Dillon's intentional wreck. In a heated post-race interview, Logano expressed his frustration towards Dillon. Prior to this outburst, Logano had driven down pitroad and performed a burnout in front of the No. 3 stall. This action resulted in several individuals, including members of the Dillon family, having to quickly move out of the way. NASCAR officials swiftly approached Logano's car as it came to a halt, leading to a $50,000 fine imposed on Logano.