Joey Logano penalized by NASCAR for safety violation at Richmond in 2024

Joey Logano has been penalized for his actions at Richmond Raceway in August 2024. Find out Logano’s penalty from NASCAR!

[autotag]Joey Logano[/autotag] will be leaving Richmond Raceway with less money in his pockets On Wednesday afternoon, NASCAR announced that Logano has been fined $50,000 for his actions on pit road after the event. The No. 22 car sped up to the No. 3 crew and smoked his tires, putting the safety of NASCAR officials and others at risk.

This is the third time since the start of 2023 that NASCAR has laid down a $50,000 fine for safety-related issues. Daniel Suarez received the fine at Circuit of the Americas in 2023, while Bubba Wallace received it at the Chicago Street Coursre in 2024. Logano’s arguably rose to higher safety concerns, but NASCAR stayed consistent with its penalties.

Unlike Austin Dillon and Richard Childress Racing, Logano and Team Penske will not lose any points over the situation. Dillon was stripped of his automatic playoff berth while he and the team lost 25 points. Logano will now look to put this in the past and earn his second win of the 2024 NASCAR season at Michigan International Speedway this weekend.

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Joey Logano expected to receive NASCAR penalty from Richmond in 2024

Joey Logano is expected to receive a NASCAR penalty from Richmond in 2024. What would be a reasonable penalty for Logano?

[autotag]Joey Logano[/autotag] was in the prime position to win the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway after a strong restart in overtime but was taken out by Austin Dillon in Turn 3 on the final lap. Logano would go on to finish in 19th place and expressed his displeasure with Dillon after the event. However, the Team Penske driver is in trouble for his actions as well.

According to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, the expectation is that Lgoano will receive a fine for smoking his tires near a group of people on pit road after the race at Richmond. When the incident occurred, Logano was near the No. 3 team and other NASCAR officials. A reasonable fine would be $50,000, which would be the same as previous safety violations within the last year.

NASCAR officials were very unhappy with the driver of the No. 22 car after the race at Richmond, and that is leading to what will likely be a hefty fine. As for Dillon, NASCAR is working through the process and will likely have an announcement on Tuesday or Wednesday. Either way, Logano is expected to receive a penalty for his actions.

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NASCAR finds itself at a defining moment after Richmond

NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer found it a fair to say that ideas have changed regarding acceptable racing contact, before admitting the sport needs to learn from what happened on Sunday night at Richmond Raceway. Those that …

NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer found it a fair to say that ideas have changed regarding acceptable racing contact, before admitting the sport needs to learn from what happened on Sunday night at Richmond Raceway.

Those that need to learn are not NASCAR. The sanctioning body instead finds itself at a defining moment in its history where the reins need to be pulled back in on the garage.

Austin Dillon had a win-at-all-costs mentality on the final lap, which resulted in wrecked race cars for Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. As Sawyer reminded everyone, NASCAR is a contact sport, and it was within Dillon’s right to use his front bumper. But if the first contact with Logano was understandably aggressive – but perhaps not liked – it was also arguably within the lines of many previous incidents. The second contact, a right rear hook of Hamlin, should be considered intolerable.

Sawyer described the chain of events as close to crossing the line. NASCAR will dig into all available data – audio, video and SMT – concerning the finish, and any reaction will come this week. It would serve NASCAR’s best interest to have the last word in the matter, and that final word needs to be strong.

A former competitor himself, Sawyer already gave the correct analysis that needs to be put into action: “Racing in the era that we race in today and the way our young kids are coming up racing at short tracks, we want to make sure that the highest level of racing, which is NASCAR Cup Series, is done at the highest level and it’s done with the utmost integrity and sportsmanship and that’s what we’re about. So, we’ll see if we need to adjust accordingly going forward.”

Highest level. Integrity. Sportsmanship.

The finish at Richmond didn’t seem to strike those chords. It was less competition or craft, and more destruction and deflection to the system. Perhaps drivers have become too comfortable feeling that way, since the reward seems to outweigh the risk of being punished more often than not.

“My parents used to say if you want to sit at the adult table, you have to act like an adult, and we just don’t as a sport sometimes,” Hamlin opined. “It’s frustrating as someone who has been doing this so long to see where we’ve come [from]. I’ll just bitch and complain my last few years, but this is just crazy.”

Layne Riggs was given a two-lap penalty for sending Stefan Parsons into the wall in Nashville earlier this year. Danny Hansen/Motorsport Images

Hamlin also had plenty to say about there being “no real officiating” in favor what he perceives to be an embrace of the chaos and headlines. As famed wrestling promoter and personality Eric Bischoff titled his autobiography, controversy creates cash. Except, Hamlin knows there are rules in place to prevent, as he described, “ridiculous acts” that rarely get enforced. Then, when they do, such as Layne Riggs being made an example of in a Craftsman Truck Series race earlier this year with a two-lap penalty for reckless driving, they seem questionable compared to what others got away with.

Yet, hooking someone in the right rear has been the most consistent call NASCAR has made over the last two years, with suspensions for drivers like Bubba Wallace and Chase Elliott. Following its review, an explanation is owed by NASCAR as to why what Dillon did was or was not different.

NASCAR is not immune to criticism for being more entertainment than competition. Some will not let it outrun comments from former executives about “boys, have at it,” even if the context around that time has long been forgotten. Or there are those quick to point out that one of the sport’s most revered figures will always be known – whether rightly or wrongly – as having made a career of using the front bumper of his black No. 3 Chevrolet.

All of those comments can be true, but it is simultaneously true that things have to change. And as long as the course is corrected, it’s OK to be in this position. Sometimes, harsh reminders by those in charge are necessary about what is expected of its competitors because the sport’s reputation has become one headline too many.

“I’m not really sure what to say about that,” Logano’s crew chief Paul Wolfe told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “It’s as far from racing as you can get, and it’s really disappointing that NASCAR allows stuff like that to go on. I don’t know what else to say.”

Wolfe, understandably, got more animated as the conversation continued and his comments more pointed. It might have been Wolfe’s voice, but it was the thoughts of many.

“That wasn’t a racing incident,” Wolfe said. “Anyone can see that. So, I guess what I’m asking NASCAR is: What have we gotten to? Is this not racing anymore? At some point, we’re going to have to not turn into a circus here.

“I get it. We want stories. We want cars that don’t run good in the playoffs. But, gosh, we’re still racing here and when we lose sight of that, I don’t know what we’re doing anymore.

“So it’s very frustrating that all the time and effort and all our sponsors and everyone puts into this, and then it turns into that on the last lap. I don’t know what we’re doing, and it’s hard to understand. That was not a racing incident, racing hard for a win. There’s a difference and everyone in this garage can look at that and know that’s not what just happened.

“This is up to NASCAR to do the right thing. At some point, we’re going to have to make the call of what’s acceptable and not and just flat-out wrecking someone is not racing. So are we a racing series or what are we? If we’re not a racing series, then we need to let everyone know we’re not racing anymore because that was not racing.”

While it is not new that the garage is calling for NASCAR to take action on a particular situation, there has been an escalation in frustration in recent years about the code of conduct on the racetrack. It has grown from rivalries and retaliation to how a race winner is decided, reaching and staining the sport’s highest level.

The time has come for NASCAR to do some cleaning up.

Joey Logano faces possible NASCAR penalty after incident in Richmond

Joey Logano faces a possible NASCAR penalty after his incident on pit road at Richmond. Will Logano be penalized for his actions?

[autotag]Joey Logano [/autotag]was two turns away from his second win of the 2024 NASCAR season but ended up finishing in 19th place after Austin Dillon wrecked him in Turn 3. Following the event, Logano called out Dillon for his actions on the race track; however, it wasn’t before the No. 22 car spun the tires close to several people on pit road.

NASCAR will review everything that occurred on the final lap and pit road after the race at Richmond. Logano showed his displeasure by stopping near the No. 3 crew and several others, including NASCAR officials, and spun his tires as he left the scene. Based on previous precedent, it would not be surprising to see a fine for Logano’s actions.

Daniel Suarez and Bubba Wallace have been fined $50,000 for safety violations since the start of 2023, which would likely be the outcome for Logano. The driver of the No. 22 car was rightfully frustrated with Dillon, but his actions on the pit road put him in line for a possible penalty. Thankfully for Logano, it would likely be nothing more than a fine.

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Joey Logano blasts Austin Dillon for incident on final lap at Richmond in 2024

Joey Logano blasts Austin Dillon for their incident on the final lap at Richmond in 2024. Find out what Logano said about Dillon!

[autotag]Joey Logano[/autotag] took the white flag at Richmond Raceway and saw Victory Lane in his sights for the second time in 2024. However, that went south in Turn 3 as Austin Dillon dumped Logano with no intentions of making the corner. Then, Dillon made contact with Denny Hamlin en route to victory lane. It was a disappointing finish for Logano, who came home in 19th place after a near victory.

Following the event, Logano was seeing red and didn’t hold back his frustrations about Dillon. The driver of the No. 22 car was rightfully upset and blasted the Richard Childress Racing driver.

“It’s chicken [expletive],” Logano said. “There’s no doubt about it. [Austin Dillon] is four car lengths back, not even close. Then he wrecks the 11 to go along with it. Then he’s going to go up there and thank God and praise everything with his baby. It’s a bunch of BS. It’s not even freakin’ close.”

“Dude, I get it, bump-n-run. I get it. I didn’t back up the corner at all. He came in there and just drove through me. It’s ridiculous that that’s the way we race. Unbelievable. I get bump-n-runs. I do that. I would expect it. But from four car lengths back, he was never going to make the corner. Then he wrecks the other car, wrecks [Denny Hamlin] to go with it. What a piece of crap.”

Logano was one turn away from his second victory of the 2024 NASCAR season but went home with a top-20 finish. There will be plenty of debates within NASCAR on whether Dillon receives a penalty or not, but it doesn’t change the result for the Team Penske driver. Logano lost out on the win and five playoff points, which can’t be returned during the week.

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NASCAR to take a closer look at Richmond finish

NASCAR will review all available data concerning the last lap events from Sunday night at Richmond Raceway where Austin Dillon made contact with two drivers en route to victory. “Our sport has been a contact sport for a long time,” said NASCAR …

NASCAR will review all available data concerning the last lap events from Sunday night at Richmond Raceway where Austin Dillon made contact with two drivers en route to victory.

“Our sport has been a contact sport for a long time,” said NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer. “We always hear, ‘Where’s the line?’ and ‘Did someone cross the line?’ I would say that the last lap was awful close to the line.

“We’ll take a look at all the available resources from audio to video, listen to spotters, we’ll listen to crew chiefs and drivers, and if anything rises to a level that we feel like we need to penalize, then we’ll do that on Tuesday.”

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Dillon was running second when he drove into Turn 3 on the final lap of overtime in the Cook Out 400 and hit the rear bumper of Joey Logano’s Ford Mustang. The contact sent Logano into a spin and the outside wall. Logano, who finished 19th, called it a chicken (expletive) move as Dillon came from a couple of car lengths back to make contact.

The chain of events continued when Dillon hooked Denny Hamlin in the right rear of Turn 4. Hamlin was to the inside of Dillon – given the opportunity as Dillon washed up the track after the contact with Logano – before his car was shot to the outside wall because of the hook, which cleared Dillon’s path to victory.

Logano finished 19th. Hamlin crossed the finish line fifth.

“It happened fast,” Sawyer said when asked if NASCAR didn’t view anything egregious in real time. “But I would say, if you look at that, in my view that’s getting right up really close to crossing the line.”

Sawyer felt Sunday night was a great race with positives, such as the option tire Cup Series teams had in their allotment. But as it pertains to the last lap, Sawyer reiterated NASCAR is a contact sport that wants drivers to race hard. The debate during NASCAR’s review of what took place at Richmond is how far the drivers can go, and Sawyer also agreed that perhaps what’s acceptable in NASCAR today has changed from what was seen throughout its history.

“Our sport is 75 years old – a lot has happened in 75 years,” he said. “So, I think we have to learn from the incident tonight and move forward and see if there’s something that … racing in the era that we race in today and the way our young kids are coming up racing at short tracks, we want to make sure that the highest level of racing, which is NASCAR Cup Series, is done at the highest level and it’s done with the utmost integrity and sportsmanship and that’s what we’re about. So, we’ll see if we need to adjust accordingly going forward.”

Whether that will include a penalty to Dillon, perhaps even taking the win away, is to be determined.

“Historically that hasn’t been our DNA to take races away, but that’s not to say that going forward this wouldn’t start to set a precedent,” Sawyer said. “We have to look at it.”

Logano blasts ‘piece of crap’ Dillon after Richmond contact

Joey Logano blasted Austin Dillon for having “no intention” of racing to the finish Sunday night at Richmond Raceway and instead choosing to make contact for the victory. The race went to overtime with Dillon as the race leader. But Logano beat …

Joey Logano blasted Austin Dillon for having “no intention” of racing to the finish Sunday night at Richmond Raceway and instead choosing to make contact for the victory.

The race went to overtime with Dillon as the race leader. But Logano beat Dillon through Turns 1 and 2 on the restart and was leading going into Turn 3 on the final lap. Dillon, looking for his first victory in two years, drove hard into the corner to get to Logano’s bumper and made contact. It sent Logano into a full spin before his car hit the outside wall.

Dillon then made contact with Denny Hamlin off Turn 4 to secure the win. Hamlin had the momentum and moved underneath Dillon when the incident between him and Logano occurred. But Dillon came back down the track and hit Hamlin in the right rear.

Admittedly, Logano was not expecting there to be contact from Dillon.

“When you get that far ahead — that’s three to four car lengths ahead into [Turn] 3,” Logano said. “I didn’t even back up the entry. I was like, ‘I’ll just wrap the bottom here, I’m good,’ and he just drives in so hard. Obviously, he didn’t make the turn because he hit me, and the 11 [Hamlin] was going to win the race.

“So, he had no intentions to race. I beat him fair and square on the restart, and he just pulls a chicken [expletive] move. He’s a piece of crap. The kid, he sucks. He sucked his whole career, and now he’s going to be in the playoffs. Good for him, I guess.”

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Dillon was 32nd in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings entering Richmond. The victory shuffles the playoff grid by putting Dillon into the postseason.

When asked if Dillon should be penalized, Logano initially said, “I don’t know. I don’t know. Apparently, it’s OK. What do you want me to say? Apparently, you can come from five car lengths back and completely wreck someone and then wreck another one to the line, and we’re going to call that racing. Cool.”

Logano was then asked if they should take the win away from Dillon, “Yeah [but] they won’t.”

In the heat of the moment, Logano didn’t know how he would react going forward. As time passed, he was still red-faced, sweating and animated, whether talking to his team or the media about what transpired on the last lap.

“But I know it’s ridiculous, and you can’t stand for it,” the two-time series champion said. “I can tell you that much. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do next. Obviously, I got to think about it, but you can’t let (expletive) like that happen.”

Dillon takes wild overtime win at Richmond

It took a controversial full-contact finish but Austin Dillon claimed his first NASCAR Cup Series victory in two seasons in Sunday night’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway – vaulting from a 32nd place in the points standings before the race to an …

It took a controversial full-contact finish but Austin Dillon claimed his first NASCAR Cup Series victory in two seasons in Sunday night’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway — vaulting from a 32nd place in the points standings before the race to an automatic playoff berth with the win.

Coming to the checkered flag during the final lap of overtime, Dillon’s No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevy hit the rear bumper of the race-leading No. 22 Team Penske driven by Joey Logano crashing Logano’s car into the catchfence. Then Dillon immediately moved low on track and hit Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota as he was driving by. It allowed Dillon to take the checkered flag only a few feet ahead and claim the all-important win by a slight 0.116s.

As Logano and Hamlin drove their dented, smoking cars to pit lane, the 34-year-old North Carolinian Dillon did victory donuts and spoke about the win and the move he used to gain it. He reminded reporters later that this was short track-style racing and that he’s seen both Logano and Hamlin make similarly aggressive moves to win a trophy.

“I don’t know man, it’s been two years and this is the first car I’ve had a shot to win with,’’ Dillon said when asked if he thought it was a fair move for the win.

“I felt like with two to go, we were the fastest car. Obviously we had to have a straightaway. Wrecked the guy. I hate to do that, but sometimes you just got to do it.

“I got to thank the good Lord above. It’s been tough for the last two years man. I care about RCR, these fans, my wife. This is my first [win] for my baby girl. It means a lot. I hate it, but I had to do it.’’

“When given that shot, you’ve got to take it,’’ Dillon added.

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It’s Dillon’s first win in the last 68 races and fifth of his career. His last trophy came in the final regular season race of 2022 at Daytona International Speedway which earned a last chance position in that playoff run. He was ranked 32nd in points coming into this Richmond race — 258 points behind the playoff cutoff line — and now he becomes the 13th driver to win his way into championship contention.

Noted his grandfather, team owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Richard Childress, “He knew what he had to do and they (Logano and Hamlin) would have done it to him.’’

After speaking briefly with reporters alongside his car on pit road, an angry Logano went immediately to the NASCAR officials team hauler.

“It was chicken &*#! — there’s no doubt about it,’’ the two-time series champion Logano said of Dillon’s move. “He was four car-lengths back, not even close. Then he wrecks the 11 [Hamlin] to go along with it.

“I mean, I get it, bump and run,’’ Logano continued, “I’ve done that, but he just drove through me, it’s ridiculous.’’

Logano’s crew chief Paul Wolfe was frustrated as well.

“It’s just a joke to call that racing. … something like that, that’s not racing,’’ Wolfe said. “We all put too much in this … that’s not professional what happened tonight.’’

Hamlin, who led the most laps (124) on the night, was equally as frustrated.

“There are no penalties for rough driving so it opens up the opportunity for Austin to just do whatever he wants,’’ said Hamlin, who was scored second.

“I got hooked in the right rear again. I was just minding my own business and he hooked me in the right rear and put me in the fence. I don’t know. The record book won’t care about what happened, He’s going to be credited with a win but obviously he’s not going to go far [in the playoffs] because you got to pay your dues back on stuff like that.

“But it was worth it because he jumped 20 positions in points, I understand that and there’s no ill will there, but I just hate that I was a part of it. … I understand it but I don’t agree with it.’’

Finishing just behind Hamlin were 23XI Racing teammates Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace. Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain was fifth. These positions were important with only three races remaining now to set the 16-driver playoff field.

Playoff eligibility changed throughout the race — sometimes dramatically so.

Wallace’s top-five run was enough to move him from a seven-point deficit outside the playoff 16 to just inside the top 16. He has a three-point advantage in that final playoff position now over both Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Chris Buescher, who finished 18th Sunday night, and Chastain.

Martin Truex Jr. who led the championship standings for much of the early season and held a 102-point advantage inside the standings at the Richmond green flag, took a big hit in the points. His No. 19 JGR Toyota had to retire early with engine problems taking a last place finish in Sunday’s 37-car field and now the 2017 series champion holds only a 78-point advantage above the playoff cutoff — ranked 14th still the highest ranked driver without a win.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs is 15th with a 19-point cushion above the cutoff line, followed by Wallace, Buescher and Chastain.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Bell, who led 122 laps and won Stage 1 — a series best 10th stage win – finished sixth, followed by Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson, Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar, Hendrick’s Chase Elliott and Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suárez rounding out the Richmond top 10.

Larson continues to lead the standings — now with a five-point advantage over Reddick and a six-point lead on his teammate Elliott. Hamlin is fourth, only 21 points back.

Not only was the race noteworthy for its dramatic ending and the shake-up in the points standings, it was a test run of the new option tire that allowed teams to have a choice of Goodyear rubber in-race. It certainly created a new element of strategy and suspense.

Suárez who tried the new tires early, for example, made up 15 points and took the lead immediately after his pit stop to change them.

“The option tire worked exactly as it was intended,’’ said Goodyear’s Director of Racing Greg Stucker. “They fired off immediately and were more than a half-second faster than the prime, which is big on a short track. Also, the options gave up significantly more than the Primes over a long run, as intended.

“What was really exciting was how different teams used the option tire at different times to accomplish their own goals,’’ he added.

With all the storylines, dramatic finish, and important new tire element, Reddick offered the understatement of the evening, “Wild way to end the night.’’

The series moves to the Midwest next week for Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400 at the two-mile Michigan International Speedway (2:30pm ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Buescher is the defending race winner.

RESULTS

Joey Logano furiously called out Austin Dillon after final lap collision at Cook Out 400

Joey Logano did not hold back on Austin Dillon here.

Welcome to FTW’s NASCAR Feud of the Week, where we provide a detailed breakdown of the latest absurd, funny and sometimes legitimate controversies and issues within the racing world.

Joey Logano did not mince words with reporters about Austin Dillon after the wild end to Sunday night’s Cook Out 400 in Richmond.

On the final lap of the NASCAR Cup Series race in Richmond, Logano was leading heading into the last dash. Dillon wasn’t too far behind Logano, but heading into the final turn, the 34-year-old driver made contact with the him, causing Logano to spin out right before the finish line.

Dillon then clipped Denny Hamlin on his way back inside before finishing an absolutely mind-blowing final lap to win the race. Here’s how the final lap looked on the broadcast.

An incredibly controversial move, to say the least. In the aftermath, Logano was understandably furious with Dillon in a very NSFW post-race interview.

It’s [expletive], there’s no doubt about it. He’s four car lengths back. Not even close. Then he wrecks the 11 to go along with it and then he’s going to go up there and thank God and praise everything with his baby. It’s a bunch of [expletive], it’s not even freaking close.

Logano continued to fume in a later interview on the track, saying Dillon has “sucked his whole career”.

Here’s how Dillon reacted after winning the race as well, briefly touching on the collision.

It remains to be seen if NASCAR will dole out punishment at all, but Hamlin — the other driver who was hit by Dillon — also wasn’t pleased about the way things went down.

NSFW language below.

 

Joey Logano talks about replacing Hailie Deegan in the NASCAR Xfinity Series

Joey Logano talks about replacing Hailie Deegan in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. What did Logano say about replacing Deegan at AM Racing?

[autotag]Joey Logano[/autotag] will drive the No. 15 Xfinity car for AM Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Chicago Street Course, but it didn’t come without controversy. Logano will replace Hailie Deegan, who has run the entire season in the entry. It’s currently unclear if Deegan will return to the No. 15 car after the Xfinity Series race at the Chicago Street Course.

The two-time NASCAR Cup Series joined Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, The Dale Jr. Download, and discussed how driving for AM Racing occurred this weekend. Based on his response, Deegan’s future may not be secured at AM Racing.

“[AM Racing] called me last week and said, ‘Hey, we got the seat here for the No. 15 that seems like it’s going to open up, and do you want to drive it?’” Logano said. “I thought, well, I think so. Let me clear with my boss [Roger Penske] and make sure that’s okay and there’s no sponsor conflicts. Once I had all that cleared, it just seemed to make sense on really both ends. That’s what a good deal is when it works on both sides of the deal.”

Logano will allow AM Racing to evaluate the current state of its Xfinity Series program on Saturday. If the No. 15 Xfinity car is competitive, Deegan may have made her last start with the organization. Based on Logano’s response, this decision was made before the race weekend at Nashville Superspeedway, as Deegan’s future is now up in the air.

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