Austin Dillon Crash a NASCAR 'Miracle' Thanks to Safety Push

Austin Dillon finished seventh at NASCAR’s Daytona International Speedway then was involved in a pileup that sent his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet SS careening into the grandstand fence where it was demolished.

Several fans were injured and a fellow driver said the non-fatal wreck was a "miracle" testifying to NASCAR's push for safety.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. crossed the finish line in first place at 2:41 a.m. Monday, following a rain-delayed start at the Coke Zero 400, then watched in horror as Dillon’s car tore through the fence and flipped over, sending debris flying into the grandstand.



“Oh my God. That looked awful,” Earnhardt yelled into his radio with a slew of expletives as he finished and immediately began to inquire about the driver, according to The Associated Press.

Earnhardt’s father, Dale, died in a crash in 2001 in the final lap of the Daytona 500.

“I just was very scared for whoever that car was. I didn't care about anything except figuring out who was OK,” Earnhardt said. “The racing doesn't matter anymore.”

“The catch-fence was just gone, it was just this huge hole, and I've seen, you know, cars hit it before and I've never seen anything like that,” Rich Schellhase, who was sitting near Turn 1 where the crash happened, told ABC News.

Dillon emerged from the wreckage without any serious injuries, though he and several audience members received medical attention.

“I am just going to be really sore. It got my tailbone pretty good and my arm,” Dillon said in an interview with NASCAR. “But just thank the good Lord for taking care of me and for what NASCAR has done to make the sport this much safer.”

Fellow driver Jimmie Johnson told ABC News the non-fatal accident was a miracle.

“It’s remarkable. I mean, the car is ripped in half, the front snout’s gone, the engine’s laying out there,” Johnson said. “It is great to have the focus of NASCAR on the tracks…to make the cars safe. So everybody’s working in the right direction to make these things safe.”



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