Announcement: Richard Childress Racing won’t appeal Austin Dillon’s usual spotter suspension, names replacement

Richard Childress Racing will have a new spotter on the #3 vehicle for the next NASCAR race in Michigan. Brandon Benesch, Austin Dillon’s customary spotter, was suspended for the remainder of the regular season for statements made on the radio that urged his driver to wreck Denny Hamlin.

Instead of Benesch, Brett Griffin will be Austin Dillon’s eye from above. It’s noteworthy that Richard Childress Racing isn’t appealing the suspension. RCR has said that they want to appeal the judgment on Dillon’s playoff eligibility.

NASCAR ruled that Dillon’s conduct on the track on the final lap at Richmond will not result in an automatic playoff berth. If Dillon wants to make the postseason, he must win at Michigan, Daytona, or Darlington.

Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports broke the story about Griffin joining the spotters’ stand. When the regular season concludes, Benesch will most likely resume his usual role.

RCR will let Benesch off the hook. In the larger scheme of things, it is insignificant when compared to missing out on the playoffs. Childress is clearly focused on having his driver and owner fines waived; there’s no need to worry about the spotter being out for a few weeks.

Austin Dillon was not the only driver to receive a penalty following the Richmond race. Joey Logano was fined $50,000 for his behavior on pit road following the race. The entire last lap and the aftermath were a chaos.

In the days following the Cook Out 400, drivers, previous drivers, media members, and fans all questioned the decision. Was Dillon in the right? Did he break the unspoken, invisible barrier between racers?

It took a few days, but NASCAR eventually answered those queries.

Richard Childress Racing hit with precedent-setting penalty

There are instances when there is no precedent, and one must be established. You can’t always do things the way you’ve always done them, and no two situations are alike. A racing move differs significantly from a desperation move.

NASCAR and its management, notably senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer, had a decision to make. Would they let that go, resulting in a Pandora’s Box of consequences? Or would they draw the line and tell drivers this isn’t acceptable?

Fortunately, they selected the latter.

“Oh, yes, totally [it crossed a line]. In a video published by NASCAR, Sawyer stated that NASCAR does not want to become involved in this situation. “We have enabled our drivers to race for many years and will continue to do so. Every driver in those national series garages, at the Cup, Xfinity, and Truck levels, knows where the line lies.

“They may inquire from time to time, ‘Where is the line? I guarantee that if you stroll through there and ask them, they’ll know where it is. We simply believed that in this circumstance, we wanted to let them know where the line is as well. “This is not something we will tolerate.”

While NASCAR and stock car racing are all about physicality, there is a limit to draw when it comes to fenders. No short track in America would allow a driver to do such a maneuver and get away with it. It’s a good thing NASCAR won’t let that happen either.