Controversial last-lap moves in NASCAR history

Austin Dillon’s move at the end of the race Sunday at Richmond Raceway will go down in NASCAR Cup Series history as one of the most controversial last-lap moves to try to win a race or gain a playoff spot.

Here are 10 of those moments that came on the last green-flag lap of the race. These are finishes where fans often took sides and wondered whether a driver truly earned the win, stole the win or cost another a victory or a shot to advance in the playoffs.

10. COTA, 2022

On the final lap of the race at Circuit of the Americas, Ross Chastain was the leader with AJ Allmendinger coming. Allmendinger pushed Chastain out of the way, and as Chastain came back to return the favor, Alex Bowman appeared to pass them on the outside. Chastain then hit Allmendinger, who then hit Bowman — and Chastain earned his first victory and the first for Trackhouse Racing.

9. Charlotte road course, 2018

The first race on the Charlotte road course looked like it was going to come down to a battle of Cup champions with Jimmie Johnson trying to chase down Martin Truex Jr. in the final turns. Johnson tried to make a pass in the frontstretch chicane and clipped Truex. They both spun. Ryan Blaney passed them to win.

8. Daytona 500, 2018

This one involved Austin Dillon, too. On the final lap, leader Aric Almirola went to block Dillon, who was getting a run on the outside. Dillon didn’t lift and Almirola was turned into the wall. Dillon won the Daytona 500 and Almirola never saw the checkered flag.

7. Talladega, 2015

This incident happened with two laps to go but it effectively ended the race. In the times of limited attempts at a green-white-checkered overtime finish at Talladega, Kevin Harvick knew he was in trouble with a motor going south. He got into Trevor Bayne on the restart, causing a wreck to bring out a caution and he limped to the finish to advance to the next round. Harvick maintained that he did not intentionally get into Bayne, but several drivers were skeptical.

6. Talladega, 2009

Brad Keselowski was looking for his first win — in just his fifth career start — as he came down the frontstretch on the final lap at Talladega. It was the time of the tandem racing and Keselowski was pushing Carl Edwards. Keselowski made a move on Edwards, who tried to pinch him down toward the yellow line. Keselowski turned Edwards, who then got sent airborne from contact with Ryan Newman. Keselowski won.

5. Martinsville, 2022

The infamous “hail melon” move was controversial not because anyone got wrecked, only driver Ross Chastain, who made the move, wrecked himself — while gaining enough spots to advance to the Championship 4. NASCAR has since outlawed the move as being too dangerous, where Chastain floored the throttle and ran into the wall, using the momentum of the car to ride the wall and make the pass.

4. Richmond, 2024

Austin Dillon, thinking he was cruising to the win before a late caution set up overtime, got beat on the restart by Joey Logano. Going into Turn 3, Dillon ran into the back of Logano and then had contact with Denny Hamlin, who was hit in his right rear and turned into the wall. Dillon went on to win (assuming NASCAR doesn’t take away the win in its review this week).

3. Martinsville, 2018

This one also involved Joey Logano as he and Martin Truex Jr. battled for the win coming to the checkered flag. The winner would earn an early automatic bid to the Championship 4 (Martinsville at the time wasn’t a cutoff race). Truex passed Logano on the next-to-last lap and then as they went into Turns 3 and 4, Logano put enough of a bumper to Truex a couple of times to shove him out of the way. Logano went on to win the title.

2. Daytona 500, 1979

In one of the most famous finishes at Daytona. Donnie Allison tried to block a Cale Yarborough pass and they slammed doors a couple of times before they both wrecked. Richard Petty won. And then there was a fight with Allison, Allison’s brother, Bobby, and Yarborough.

1. Bristol, 1999

The infamous “I didn’t mean to really turn him around, I meant to rattle his cage” incident occurred when Terry Labonte did a bump-and-run to pass Dale Earnhardt coming to the white flag, and then had the favor returned by Earnhardt — except it left Labonte with a crumpled car on the backstretch. Earnhardt celebrated in victory lane and probably heard the most boos he had ever heard in his life.

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

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