NASCAR's postseason format meant Austin Dillon had every incentive to wreck his way to victory

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Austin Dillon was first to the finish at Richmond.

The question is whether he crossed a different sort of line on his way there.

Dillon won for the first time in nearly two years in the Cup Series on Sunday night, but the race seemed out of reach before he spun Joey Logano out of the way and then sent Denny Hamlin into the wall as well — all in the final few seconds. Once the initial celebration ended, Dillon had quite a bit to answer for — but becoming a NASCAR villain for a few days may be a small price to pay for such a desperately needed victory.

“Absolutely a line was crossed, but it’s an invisible line,” Hamlin said. “It’s not defined. I mean, they have rules and provisions for stuff like this, but they never take action for it.”