Less than 50 feet from the checkered flag, Austin Dillon flipped over multiple drivers and took down the catch fence with his airborne car, injuring several fans in the stands.
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After being pulled from the mangled car, Dillon was able to walk away from the wreck and wave to the crowd. He finished seventh despite the motor completely detaching from his vehicle.
UPDATE: Dillon sustained a bruised tailbone and forearm, according to ESPN’s Bob Pockrass. Among those hurt in the crowd, four received treatment at the track, one was hospitalized with minor injuries and eight declined medical attention, International Speedway president Joie Chitwood III confirmed.
“It’s not really acceptable, I don’t think,” Dillon told reporters after being examined at the care center. “We’ve got to figure out something. Our speeds are too high, I think. I think everybody could get good racing with slower speeds. We can work at that, and then figure out a way to keep the cars on the ground. That’s the next thing. We’re fighting hard to make the racing good. I hope the fans appreciate that. We don’t, but it’s our job. You go out there and hold it wide open to the end and hope you make it through.”
A video posted by Dylan Whitlock (@dylan27w) on Jul 5, 2015 at 11:50pm PDT
