Ryan Blaney airs it out on Austin Dillon, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin Richmond controversy

Ryan Blaney cleared the air regarding his opinion on Austin Dillon wrecking Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin for the win at Richmond over the weekend.

During the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion joined the show to explain how point of view on the controversial topic, and why he believes it wasn’t an admirable move from the No. 3 wheelman.

“Yeah, you know, I feel like it’s like, on that side of it, yes, like you’ve got to do whatever it takes to win,” Blaney said, asked if he agreed with what transpired at the end of the Cook Out 400. “He’s obviously way outside the playoff bubble where he needed to win, the No. 3 car, and getting into the No. 22 and ending up spinning him out from way back. You know, it wasn’t like he was a car length back up into three. He was five back, and I don’t know if he ever touched the brake pedal to get to the No. 22. He missed it so bad that the No. 11 was gonna pass him, and then he gets, he kind of hooks the No. 11, you know.

“So, I feel like that was another step further in the controversy of, ‘Okay, yeah, you spun the leader out from pretty far back, and then you kind of double-down and then hook a guy to win.’ Yeah, I mean, you’re in a desperate situation, but to me, that was kind of overkill. Like, that’s — what are we getting into as a sport, of where that’s open? Yeah, we’re all for hard racing, and it’s been a contact sport for a long time, but I feel like that was just kind of a step over. Like, that was just too excessive, too much, you know, to really be, like, psyched up about. Yeah, you know, like, that’s maybe not right — the right way to do it, but I don’t know. I’m not in his shoes.”

Ryan Blaney on Austin Dillon decision to wreck Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin for the win: ‘I would never do that’

While Blaney recognizes Dillon was simply doing whatever it took to try and make the playoffs, he revealed that he wouldn’t have done the same thing in a similar situation, at least that’s what he would like to think.

“No. I would never do that, like, intentionally. Like, yeah, all right, you get into a guy. Maybe you don’t mean to spit him out, but, you know, then you hook a guy again, another guy, because you missed the corner so bad to get to a guy. So, I would like to say I wouldn’t do something like that,” Blaney added. “I mean, you got beat on the restart, you know. I mean, fair and square. Yeah, you were going to win the race before the last caution, but this is motorsports, and unpredictable things happen, and you have to, you know, kind of go with what’s given to you, and he got beat.

“You know, he got — Joey drove around him on the top right away and got away from him, and you know, you had your chance to win it fair and square there on the restart. You know, you run maybe, if you run Joey up and Turn 1 and 2 on the restart, that’s one thing, right? You kind of bang doors, whatever, go on your way. But then, I feel like that was just kind of a step further.”

Alas, Blaney believes the time to make a move for Dillon was the restart, and once the No. 22 got by him, he should’ve left it alone. That obviously wasn’t in the cards for the No. 3, and chaos ensued following the final turn.

“He went up and passed the No. 22. He passed the No. 22 and he passed the No. 11. You know, he did everything right, up until that point,” Blaney said, regarding Dillon’s efforts before a late caution came out. “And, you know, yeah, I mean, like he said, right? He’s had a rough year, right? It hasn’t gone their way. They’ve struggled a little bit, and this is your night, right? You have an opportunity to win, lock yourself into the playoffs.

“But like I said, you had your shot on the restart and you lost it. If you’re going to use somebody up, use them up on the restart. But it’s just kind of over-excessive there.”

Evidently, NASCAR agreed with Ryan Blaney, taking Austin Dillon’s playoff eligibility away following the victory. Perhaps he can steal another win in a more fair fashion over the next two weeks, but unless he does, the No. 3 won’t make the cut in 2024.

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