Multi-Car Wreck Ruins Day of Dillon and Eilliott

CONCORD, N.C. — What had been a great day in the Queen City for both Austin Dillon and Chase Elliott turned south in a flash in a multi-car wreck in a late-race restart.

The driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet was running second when the Bank of America 500 restarted with 76 laps to go. Martin Truex Jr. got into his rear to shove him ahead of race leader Jimmie Johnson, but got him loose and sent him spinning through the grass.

He slammed hard into the inside retaining wall just past the exit of pit road.

“I am fine, it just sucks,” Dillon said after being released from the care center. “We will have to work hard the next two weeks to get the points back.

“I felt like I got to third gear pretty clean and then the next thing – I feel contact and I am spinning through the grass. It’s part of it and we took two tires there and you know the risk when you get into it. You just hope that doesn’t happen obviously. I got to third without spinning the tires, and I felt like we got contacted.”

Elliott swerved down initially to avoid the wreck but turned back up to avoid Dillon who was coming down the track. This caused him to be hooked by Kyle Busch and turned into the outside wall. He hit driver-side first and was rammed by Ryan Blaney and Paul Menard.

“I think the No. 3 they stayed out on tires and tried to get some track position,” Elliott said. “The No. 78 ended up getting him out of shape and then after that I tried to check up. I don’t think the No. 18 saw it, got into us and got us turned the wrong way. It happens we just got to go and try to have more runs like that next week.”

Dillon and Elliott both leave Charlotte tied for ninth in points 36 points behind Johnson and three points behind Denny Hamlin for the eighth-place Round of 8 cut off.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

Tucker White
Tucker White
I've followed NASCAR for well over 20 years of my life, both as a fan and now as a member of the media. As of 2024, I'm on my ninth season as a traveling NASCAR beat writer. For all its flaws and dumb moments, NASCAR at its best produces some of the best action you'll ever see in the sport of auto racing. Case in point: Kyle Larson's threading the needle pass at Darlington Raceway on May 9, 2021. On used-up tires, racing on a worn surface and an aero package that put his car on the razor's edge of control, Larson demonstrated why he's a generational talent. Those are the stories I want to capture and break down. In addition to NASCAR, I also follow IndyCar and Formula 1. As a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, I'm a diehard Tennessee Volunteers fan (especially in regards to Tennessee football). If covering NASCAR doesn't kill me, down the road, watching Tennessee football will. I'm also a diehard fan of the Atlanta Braves, and I lived long enough to see them win a World Series for the first time since 1995 (when I was just a year old). I've also sworn my fan allegiance to the Nashville Predators, though that's not paid out as much as the Braves. Furthermore, as a massive sports dork, I follow the NFL on a weekly basis. Though it's more out of an obligation than genuine passion (for sports dorks, following the NFL is basically an unwritten rule). Outside of sports, I'm a major cinema buff and a weeb. My favorite film is "Blazing Saddles" and my favorite anime is "Black Lagoon."

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Best New Zealand Online Casinos

RacingJunk.com and Leaf Racewear Safety Equipment Giveaway

Rocketplay Casino

10 deposit casinos

Best Betting Sites in Canada

bettingtop10.ca

Latest articles