Austin Dillon booked his place in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs on Sunday with a controversial win at the Cook Out 400.

Dillon was leading at the green-white checkered restart, with just three laps remaining for the win, but was immediately passed by Joey Logano.

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Logano looked set for the win as he built a small gap to Dillon, but the #3 car went deep to spin the leader out and then immediately cut down the track to spin the fast-finishing Denny Hamlin.

Dillon defended his starring role in the last-lap mayhem, saying simply 'I hate to do that, but sometimes you just got to have it.'

The fallout from the incident may have been far greater had Hamlin and Logano not already been firmly ensconced in the playoffs, meaning that Dillon's actions didn't ruin their chances of making the postseason.

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Cook Out 400 at Richmond results

1. Austin Dillon, #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

2. Denny Hamlin, #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

3. Tyler Reddick, #45 23XI Racing Toyota

4. Bubba Wallace, #23 23XI Racing Toyota

5. Ross Chastain, #1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

6. Christopher Bell, #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

7. Kyle Larson, #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

8. Carson Hocevar, #77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

9. Chase Elliott, #9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

10. Daniel Suarez, #99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

11. Ryan Blaney, #12 Team Penske Ford

12. Kyle Busch, #8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

13. William Byron, #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

14. Josh Berry, #4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

15. Michael McDowell, #34 Front Row Motorsports Ford

16. Brad Keselowski, #6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

17. Todd Gilliland, #38 Front Row Motorsports Ford

18. Chris Buescher, #17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

19. Joey Logano, #22 Team Penske Ford

20. Noah Gragson, #10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

21. Chase Briscoe, #14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

22. Ty Gibbs, #54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

23. Zane Smith, #71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

24. Austin Cindric, #2 Team Penske Ford

25. Ryan Preece, #41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

26. Ty Dillon, #16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

27. Justin Haley, #51 Rick Ware Racing Ford

28. Alex Bowman, #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

29. Erik Jones, #43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota

30. Daniel Hemric, #31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

31. John Hunter Nemechek, #42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota

32. Harrison Burton, #21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford

33. Riley Herbst, #15 Rick Ware Racing Ford

34. Corey Lajoie, #7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

35. Parker Retzlaff, #66 Power Source Ford

36. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., #47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet [Out, accident]

37. Martin Truex Jr., #19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota [Out, engine]

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