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In the massive crash at NASCAR’s Coke Zero 400 race at Daytona this past weekend, Austin Dillon was the driver of the car that went airborne, injuring three fans before essentially disintegrating. Amazingly, Dillon sustained only minor bruising from the crash, leaving him healthy enough to appear on NBC’s Today Show Tuesday morning, where he was interviewed by Matt Lauer.
As is the case every time a massive crash happens at a restrictor-plate race such as Daytona, lots of talk has centered on the relative safety of that style of racing. Lauer pressed Dillon to comment on the issue, but the racer of the famed No. 3 car (Dale Earnhardt Sr., who died at Daytona, did so in the No. 3) was as diplomatic as possible, choosing instead to praise the EMTs for responding quickly, and his mechanics for keeping him safe during such a horrific crash. Both certainly deserve praise, but that doesn’t mean that the next time a car is completely annihilated, everyone is guaranteed to walk away. Dillon said he was traveling at least 190 miles per hour.
That being said, Austin Dillon has entered the conversation for Understatement of the Year for when he described traveling through the air at over 190 mph in an exploding shrapnel factory “Not the greatest feeling in the world.” I think we can all agree with you there, Austin. Sheesh.
