Austin Dillon punishment affects the entire field says Jeff Burton | Motorsports on NBC

the magnitude of of this decision uh was and is huge we want to make sure that we are protecting the Integrity of our playoffs as well as our Championship when we get to Phoenix we want them to be able to race hard um that's what our sport has been about for 75 plus years but we also want them to understand and I believe that each and every one of them understands that this cross the line Austin Dylan keeps his win at Richmond from last weekend but he loses play play off eligibility NASCAR announcing that they've taken the playoff eligibility that goes with the victory away from Austin Dylan and the number three team at Richard childis racing among other things that they announced in regards to penalties with Dylan's actions on the last lap at Richmond Jeff we've we've seen it we've heard it you were there Sunday night what's your reaction to what Nascar announced today in terms of penalties to Austin Dylan and the number three team yeah Dustin I I I think this is you know it's a difficult situation right I mean this system that we have uh not only in how you make the playoffs and how you transfer through the playoffs and how you win a championship but also when you when you uh put that in context with what it means for how you get paid next year how you get paid this this year uh this is a massive uh decision because you know it's it's it it it just is and it and this system puts drivers in the position to do things like this you know it's puts them them in the situation where they have to do things that they're uncomfortable with and so then that requires NASCAR to uh police it and it requires them in in a in in my eyes in a way more than ever in the history of the sport to draw the lines and uh clearly I think you know when you watch all that I I have I have sympathy for Austin because he's out there trying to win a race he's out there trying to get himself in the playoffs uh he's out there doing everything that you ask your race car driver to do as a car owner uh it's just it was over the line and I think everybody that watched it you know well not everybody because nobody agrees on everything but i' say the majority of people that watched it said okay if this isn't over the line then what is right what is over the line and um you know and then Nascar has you know they got to take a step back and they have you know to look at all the data they have to look at all the information and you know when they looked at it they're like look in totality all of these things together uh it wasn't just the 22 it wasn't just the 11 it was those two things together uh and and you know spider was on the radio you know he was he was saying wrecking uh all that stuff collectively right adds up and and so NASCAR made the decision and it's a it's I think they struggled with it I think that the reason they struggled with it is because you know not only are you penalizing Richard chers racing and Austin Dylan uh you're affecting the entire field and you're you're affecting a lot of things so you have to get it right and um you know at the end of the day I think they got it right uh but I also have sympathy for Austin Dylan and his team you know two things can be true at the same time Elton s told us the media just not too long ago he said the number one thing is that we want to make sure that we're protecting the Integrity of our playoffs as well as the championship when we get to Phoenix if you are a driver um after seeing this and and look it's still because of this system drivers you do whatever it takes do drivers Now understand where the line is or look there's still Bristol on the horizon there's still a couple road courses there's still Martinsville we know how chaotic Martinsville can be and as as as Elton alluded to Phoenix the championship site you know what what could happen there do do drivers understand what what the Line is now well the line is always you know difficult to explain because unless nasar says if you make contact with someone and they wreck you're going to be penalized unless they say that or or even if they did say that for that matter because why did you hit maybe he maybe he lifted early and you didn't anticipate it right so you know it's actually easier in other series because they police it at a higher level uh Nas that's not what Nascar is NASCAR as Elton said after the race has always been a contact sport some of the greatest moments in our Sports history we guys wrecking each other and um you know so you know so what is that line and I think that we have these moments where um you know and this is certainly a big moment you know what crosses the line and when what is that and so now yeah I think it's a little more clear uh for sure uh but it's never going to be Crystal Clear uh but the drivers need to know if if you know there there has to be a consequence right if you if you go over the line and every driver uh looks at the line a little differently right and I'm sure Austin Dylan doesn't agree with this call right and there's a reason he he's not an unreasonable person uh there's a reason he won't agree with this call but we have to have in a chaotic in a chaotic World which these drivers live in we have to have some uh some degree of what is acceptable and I think it's it's easy to say uh that this was over the line and and then each driver will have to go and speak to NASCAR and NASCAR does have a has a all drivers meeting on Friday and I promise you this will be the topic of conversation it'll be the most well attended meeting that they've had uh you know so look it it's it's Dustin we've dealt with this for years and and we've wrestled with um we've wrestled with what's the right thing to do and I will say this in an era where uh safety has become more important in an era where um the drivers are asked or put in more difficult situations because of the format and because of the rules and because of the processes with Charters all those things that put more pressure on the drivers and that's awesome to watch but at the same time it's put them in positions where they do things that they're not always comfortable with and I think in some ways it helps them be able to go to their car owner go to their sponsors go to their crew chief go to their Spotter and say we can't do that they're not going to let us do it and because trust me the pressure is there the pressure I heard it all the time you don't you don't wreck enough people you're not aggressive enough well hell I didn't race in this I didn't race like these guys have to race it's more intense than when I raced so I think giving them I think giving them some borders and some guidelines is actually better for everybody uh but unfortunately there are times that the only way you know if you cross a line is if you see it and you're like okay that crossed the line because how do you make a rule for that how do you write a rule that says hey if you go in the corner you hit a guy on purpose from four carlings back or two carlings back he spins and then you make contact with another car he makes contact and you win the race you're not going to win I mean how do you make that rule so it's always going to be a bit of a judgment call it's in the sports best interest though to limit the amount of judgment limit it so everybody knows it up front what's too much and and this this call will help do that but it's never going to go completely away you know Jeff that's interesting what you say there and gets me thinking about look we look at other sports and how many times we you know see other sports delayed uh or the end we have to wait on the end because the officials have to determine hey did the players's foot on the line or was it not on the line or what this or that here was a case where Sunday night I think to a lot of people the ey test would say hey there's probably something here this was a penalty this should have been reacted on at the moment instead we wait three days until we get NASCAR's judgment now understanding they had they went throught data they went through the incar camera footage they listened to the team radio and stuff like that you know I know Elton Sawyer did talk about they want to get to where they can make the decision a lot sooner he stressed he feels like they got it right but waiting three days as opposed to you know it looked like the line was crossed pretty evidently on Sunday night was NASCAR Was Nascar right into waiting this long on this decision we all would rather the decision be instant and have it on Sunday night I think everybody would rather have that but I would rather take time and them have the opportunity to make sure they get it right this is Monumental call this is huge and it's not just huge for Austin Dylan and Richard chers it's huge for the whole industry and so um yeah I think that that Elton and and as you know I work with Elton and that team a lot I would rather wait and have a conversation than rush it now that this call is made maybe the next decision comes a little quicker right and and um you know there were other we've had you know this isn't this isn't unheard of by any means for a decision to come out on a Wednesday you know normally it's a Tuesday right but this was a time not unheard of by any means this was a time where the sport was it used to be like that and then the sport tried to get away from it because everybody was complain hey you know let's let's find out what happened Sunday night after the race Saturday night as opposed to waiting till Tuesday Wednesday so this is going back that that's why I just brought that up it's the smaller it's the smaller issue um you know it is it is a bit of an issue you know I think the fans want uh immediate response they want immediate reaction um for sure and and they want to leave the racetrack knowing uh you know but in but again that's that's in a perfect world I did I you know I'm not going to fault NASCAR for taking the time to get it right I'm not I'm not going to do that I I just I think that it's better to try to get it right and look at all the information and all the data and all everything talk to all you talk to everybody and listen to everybody and and then make a decision I I know I this is a Monumental moment let's treat it like that and I'm okay with taking some time and you talk about this being a Monumental moment not only for NASCAR but a and Austin Dylan but this is a big moment for those drivers that don't have wins that are buying for those playoff spots so Martin Truex Jr's plus 78 uh Tai Gibbs plus 18 Bubba Wallace was the last driver on the playoff spot now he's one spot moves one spot up he's plus three Chris busher who was outside the playoff spot the final playoff spot now is um you know holding the last playoff spot Ross Chastain is behind him based to on the tiebreaker how significant is this as we move to Michigan and start to look ahead to the final three races in the regular season what this decision does in the race for the final playoff spot it creates a spot but it doesn't take any pressure away because there's not enough Point separation to feel like that's I'm going to feel the spot so yes a few weeks from now we'll say okay had Austin Dylan had Austin Dylan been in the playoffs and this guy would have been out but none of them know that now so yes it does relieve a little bit or or create an opportunity to fill the spot but no one has enough Point separation to say okay I'm G to take it so a little tiny bit of pressure off but almost essentially none so fast for you mentioned you mentioned making the call on Sunday yeah fast forward to Phoenix fast forward to Martinsville if you see this type of move made now they can make the call on Sunday I think now the fact that they took all this and they had a chance to to understand it get all the information what it look like I think now it's easier to make the call quicker and so sometimes you have to go through this to get to where you want to be and so ultimately um for this moment I think taking the time was the right thing to do but if you see something else that is clearly clearly you know doesn't pass the ey test I think now they are more prepared to make the decision quicker um that's and and and by the way if you're a driver and you know know that you have to do some miraculous driver stuff that no one else is willing to do um there's a limit so this greatly affects the way the playoffs could race as well well it'll be interesting to see what happens this weekend at Michigan International Speedway for the Nascar Cup Series and you can watch the action at 2:30 PM Eastern on USA Network hi I'm Parker cigman for more access like this from Pit Road be sure to click and subscribe to the Motorsports at NBC YouTube channel