Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Coke Zero 400 early Monday morning, but the finish of the race was marred by a horrifying crash that sent Austin Dillon's car sailing into the catchfence at Daytona International Speedway.
Dillon walked away and waved to the crowd after his car got airborne and was torn apart by the fence. He was been checked and released from the infield care center with a bruised tailbone and forearm.
Track president Joie Chitwood III confirmed 13 fans were examined and eight declined treatment. Of the five treated, one was transported to a local hospital, treated and released. The other four were treated at the infield care center.
Replay of the Austin Dillon wreck at #Daytona pic.twitter.com/GHCQyyp7Os
— Joe Rodgers (@Rodgers_PG) July 6, 2015
"It's not really acceptable, I don't think," Dillon told reporters after exiting the care center. "We've got to figure out something. Our speeds are too high, I think. I think everybody could get good racing with slower speeds."
After Sam Hornish Jr. had spun through the grass to bring out the race's final caution, that set up a green-white-checker finish. A mass of cars were jockeying for position behind Earnhardt Jr., who had been the driver to beat all night, and several lines followed him across the finish.
Denny Hamlin appeared to get backed up into Kevin Harvick. That pushed Jeff Gordon back into Dillon, whose car lifted and flew over two or three lanes of traffic and up into the catchfence toward the entrance to Turn 1.
The fence was torn down in the section where Dillon hit. Dillon's car was hit again by Brad Keselowski's car as drivers scattered to try to avoid the multi-car pileup.
Crew members from many teams ran out to check on Dillon and help extricate him from the car. They gave a thumbs up when they saw he was OK.
Dillon waved to the crowd after being helped from the car.
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