Dale Earnhardt Jr. considers suspension for Austin Dillon for right-rear hooking Denny Hamlin

NASCAR has a lot to review following a controversial finish on the track at Richmond Raceway over the weekend, and penalties could certainly be coming for Austin Dillon, who won the Cook Out 400.

What those penalties might entail remains to be seen, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t ruling out a possible racing suspension.

“Maybe we wouldn’t be shocked if NASCAR came out and said Austin’s sitting out a race,” Earnhardt Jr. said on the Dale Jr. Download podcast on Tuesday. “I wouldn’t have a problem with it.”

Austin Dillon won the race after getting physical with two other cars on the white flag lap after the race went to overtime.

First, he came up on the rear bumper of Joey Logano and gave him a shove, one that sent Logano spinning into the wall. Then he course-corrected back on track and made contact with Denny Hamlin‘s right rear quarter panel, sending him into the wall as well.

The latter contact is what Earnhardt Jr. believes NASCAR might look at for a possible suspension.

“I think that it’s a very important moment for NASCAR,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “Yes, this is very important. They cannot not deter this. That was too far. I don’t want to see that again. That was like, with Denny’s, I thought Denny hit way harder than he did. I was surprised to see him get out of that car as spry as he did. I thought he freaking pounded the fence.”

That said, Earnhardt Jr. is not entirely convinced that Austin Dillon will actually get a suspension.

He thinks the incident could be viewed in a manner more favorable to Dillon, as a reaction rather than an aggressive and intentional action. Of course, the spotter’s audio urging Dillon to wreck other drivers might convolute that case.

“It depends on how you look at it,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “We all can sit here and say he wrecked the 22, he wrecked the 11, penalize the 3. I could totally understand that argument, but I could also understand saying that the 11 and the 3 sort of met in a bad spot and that was unavoidable, what happened to the 11. Because, again, if the 3 doesn’t steer left into that, he’s going with him. But he is responsible.”

NASCAR is expected to hand down any penalties for the Austin Dillon incident on Wednesday.

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