Wild wreck for Dillon

Austin Dillon was running third off Turn 2 on the final lap of Sunday’s race when a tap from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. sent him spinning into the outside wall and into the path of Casey Mears’ Ford. The violent impact from Mears’ car launched Dillon’s Stewart-Haas Racing Chevy into the air.

Though the cars were destroyed, the drivers escaped unhurt.

“Got to thank Tony Stewart and everyone at Stewart-Haas for giving me this opportunity, because it was so much fun,” said Dillon, who was driving the No. 14 Chevrolet in relief of the injured Tony Stewart for the final time this year.

“I was trying to help the 88 (Dale Earnhardt Jr., running second at the time) right there at the end, and they had a run, the 17 (Stenhouse). So I went low, and when I was coming back up, he just hooked me. And when he hooked us, it was over. But a wild ride. I just have to thank NASCAR for everything they have done for safety. That hit was fine. I got to drive the car back, and it’s a lot of fun when you have good safety equipment and can go after it like that.”