Dillon Clinches NASCAR Playoffs Spot with Richmond Victory, Elliott Out

Austin Dillon Clinches NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Spot at Richmond

In an exciting race at Richmond Raceway, Austin Dillon proved his worth by securing his second consecutive victory, ensuring his participation in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Dillon, behind the wheel of his Chevrolet No. 3, dominated the competition, making it clear that this time he would leave no doubt about his qualification for the playoffs. The victory came after an impeccable strategy and consistent driving on the 0.75-mile oval. Dillon’s strategy was key, outperforming Ryan Blaney in the last 100 laps. He decided to pit four laps before Blaney, which gave him a crucial advantage. Dillon led 107 of the 400 laps and crossed the finish line with a 2.471-second lead over Alex Bowman, who finished second. Blaney, for his part, finished third, followed by Joey Logano and Austin Cindric.

With this victory, Dillon added his sixth career win, becoming the fourteenth winner to secure his place in the playoffs, which will be contested in the last 10 races of the season. The regular season will culminate next Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, where the last two drivers qualified for the playoffs will be confirmed.

Chase Elliott in a difficult moment

Chase Elliott, 2020 Cup champion, is in a complicated moment before the playoffs. Elliott finished last in Richmond, marking his first non-completion of a race since last October. Elliott was close to avoiding an accident on lap 198, but was hit by Kyle Busch in the right rear.

“I think Kyle didn’t realize we were trying to go through the inside of the accident,” Elliott commented. “We had a good start to the night, but everything fell apart. Hopefully we can improve from next week.”
Chase Elliott

Since leading the standings in June, after his victory in Atlanta, Elliott has finished outside the top ten in five of seven races.

Richmond Raceway Sells Out

Richmond Raceway announced a sellout crowd for the first time since 2008, indicating a resurgence of interest in racing. Denny Hamlin, a native of Chesterfield, Virginia, and whose family used to attend races in Richmond, commented on the state of the sport.

“The sport has changed,” Hamlin said. “The key to getting it back is to sell out all the tickets at least once, and improve the short track races. If those things are achieved, I think there will be more chances to have two races here.”
Denny Hamlin

Shane van Gisbergen Shows Progress

Shane van Gisbergen, after his outstanding victory in the street and road races, achieved a commendable 14th place in Richmond, despite hitting the wall twice during qualifying. Although the New Zealand driver feels more comfortable on short tracks like Richmond, his inexperience remains a challenge. Van Gisbergen has been studying the strategies of drivers like Hamlin and Ross Chastain to improve his performance.