NASCAR: Austin Dillon decision sends Cup Series champion to the playoffs

Had Austin Dillon's victory at Richmond Raceway a few weekends ago ended up counting toward his NASCAR Cup Series playoff eligibility, as it initially did, 15 of the 16 playoff spots would have been occupied by race winners.

Though the driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet did keep the victory itself, NASCAR determined that, because of how he earned it, wrecking both Team Penske's Joey Logano and Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin in the final turn on the final lap, he would need another non-encumbered win to qualify for the four-round, 10-race postseason.

He did not earn that second victory in any of the regular season's final three races, so he was left on the outside looking in. As a result, although there were 15 different regular season race winners, only 14 locked themselves into the playoffs.

The beneficiary of NASCAR's Austin Dillon decision

That left two playoff spots for drivers to lock in on points, not just one. Joe Gibbs Racing's Ty Gibbs took the first of those two spots with 702 points, and teammate Martin Truex Jr. took the second with 696.

Had it not been for NASCAR's decision and Richard Childress Racing's subsequent failed appeal attempts, the 2017 series champion would not be in the playoffs in his final season as a full-time driver, despite having led the point standings earlier in the year.

Truex, who officially finished the regular season in 10th place in the point standings, held on for the 16th and final playoff spot by six points over RFK Racing's Chris Buescher, despite crashing out of Sunday night's Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway just two laps into the race.

Truex entered the race sitting 58 points above the cut line, and the only possible way for him to miss the postseason was if a new winner emerged. A new winner did indeed emerge, with Stewart-Haas Racing's Chase Briscoe holding off Richard Childress Racing's Kyle Busch, but Truex's competition for the final spot could not do enough to take advantage of his early wreck.

Truex in, thanks to Dillon being out

Looking back, had it not been for JTG Daugherty Racing's Ricky Stenhouse Jr. making contact with Stewart-Haas Racing's Ryan Preece with just over one lap to go in what had been a completely caution-free race (aside from the two stage breaks) at Richmond, there would have been no caution and no restart, and Dillon likely would have gone on to win without controversy.

And most importantly, Truex would have been out of the playoffs for the second time in three years.

Instead, Truex still has a shot to win a second championship ahead of his impending retirement, and Dillon's sixth career playoff appearance – and a record fifth with a victory from outside of the top 16 in points – was not meant to be in 2024.

As for shared primary sponsor Bass Pro Shops, the silver lining is that they get the driver sitting in 10th place in the point standings into the playoffs instead of the driver sitting in 28th.

Atlanta Motor Speedway is scheduled to get the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs underway this Sunday, September 8 with the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart, which is set to be broadcast live on USA Network beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV today and don't miss it!