Mark Martin reacts to NASCAR leveling Austin Dillon unprecedented penalty

NASCAR came down hard on Austin Dillon for intentionally wrecking Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin on the final lap of this past Sunday’s race at Richmond, revoking his automatic playoff berth and docking him 25 points.

It’s an unprecedented move from the sanctioning body, which ultimately felt it needed to step in and lay the law down. Mark Martin, the NASCAR Hall of Famer, said on the “Dale Jr. Download” this week that NASCAR had a tough call to make, though he believes its decision was “fair.”

“I think that’s fair,” Martin said. “I don’t envy NASCAR at all. Really, honestly, they were put in a position of no win. I think their decision is fair but it’s difficult. It’s really a difficult situation and I felt bad for NASCAR to be put in that situation.”

Dillon entered Sunday’s race 32nd in the points standings, well out playoff contention. But under the current playoff format, where one victory grants you playoff eligibility, Dillon simply did what he felt he needed to do — respect be damned.

Martin, who raced in an era where respect between the drivers on the racetrack was paramount, said the playoff system which rewards winning at all costs, is to blame.

“I can come at this from a couple different angles,” Martin said. “The first angle is straight up fan. I was sitting watching the race by myself and I laughed out loud. It was so outrageous that I laughed. It takes balls to do what Austin Dillon did. But it is largely due to the format. I mean, this all started — I’m a purist, I’m a racer, I’m a purist. I grew up in an era where respect and honor and dignity were everything. And that was paramount. The racers taught me to race with that and they raced me back with that. It served me well and I tried to always do the right thing, the right thing by my fans and everything else.

Mark Martin goes in on Austin Dillon wreck, role playoff system played

“But it’s a different day and age. I terribly disagreed with the double-file restart. Why did they do that? They did that to take the advantage away from the guy who was gonna win the race. They did that to appease the fans and television. And the Green-White-Checkered as well. I was not a fan of that when it came. But it’s done to appease television and the masses. Now, there’s some that don’t like it and there’s some that do, and everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. I’m kind of riding the fence, I’m a fan. I still love NASCAR, and I still watch it, but it is dang sure different than it was when I was growing up. I’m not gonna bash it because it’s what we have now.

“I just really think that this is the day and age that we’re in. You’re gonna have a lot of bump and runs and contact. It’s all generated by winner takes all, win and you’re in — nothing else matters. In Austin Dillon’s case, it really didn’t except that NASCAR deemed that he stepped over the line. But he didn’t know that when he made the move. I view this as a big event in our sport. Not quite as big as the hail melon by [Ross] Chastain, but it’s pretty huge. It has generated a lot of attention and a lot of stir. When you get stir, even negative stir is stir. … This has been a shot in the arm in one way, but in the other way, it’s kind of a black eye as well.”

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