Earnhardt wins rain-delayed Daytona ahead of Dillon’s crash

Mulitple cars, including David Gilliland (38), Sam Hornish Jr.

The two have retained an attorney who represented fans injured in the 2013 Xfinity Series crash involving Kyle Larson’s vehicle flying into the catchfence and are requesting the speedway pay for their healthcare costs. NASCAR uses restrictor plates on cars to limit how fast a driver can go, and in turn make the races safer.

(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack). In 2014, Aric Almirola won a day after the race had been postponed by rain. Dillon’s vehicle was sent wheels first into the track fencing protecting the lower grandstand seats.

Then early Monday morning in the final moments of the 161-lap Sprint Cup Series race, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick touched as they battled for third.

“Oh My God. That looked bad”, he yelled into his radio, The Associated Press reported. He followed with a string of expletives as he tried to comprehend the frightening accident.

“Whoever is in that window, if he’s OK, do not touch him”.

DAYTONA, FLORIDA – Polesitter Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the rain-delayed Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola early Monday, leading a race-high 96 laps en route to the 16th Daytona global Speedway victory of his career. That crash was also on the last lap.

“The hardest part is we don’t need the speed where we catch air”, Dillon said.

“I am just going to be really sore, ” Dillon told NASCAR.com. Following the crash he said, “We’ve got to figure out something”.

“I mean, racing doesn’t matter any more”.

Earnhardt Jr. dominated the race, leading 96 of the 160 laps.

It was the second time in two years that fans were injured after a vehicle went airborne into the catchfence.

Daytona worldwide Speedway track president Joie Chitwood said additional safety work had “worked”.

Chitwood said four more fans in the grandstands were treated and released on property.

“It’s pretty wonderful”, said Dillon.

But fans don’t accept that risk when they come to the track and Dillon’s crash at Daytona last weekend (or should I say Monday?) is more proof that things need to be changed at NASCAR’s largest ovals. “That’s auto racing and we’re on safety improvements all the time to make racing safer and better”. Both the front and back of Dillon’s vehicle were missing when it finally settled on the apron of the track with debris littered around it. Dillon’s pit crew rushed from behind their wall to check on him.

Fellow race vehicle driver Jimmy Johnson was quoted, saying that he’s “shocked he’s even alive”.

They were shaken to the core, as were other drivers. In the video, you can see his engine become completely separated from his racecar.

The oncoming vehicle of Brad Keselowski had nowhere to go and slammed into Dillon before he came to rest.