By Jerry Jordan, Editor
CONCORD, N.C. – After contact with the wall earlier in the race that caused the crush panels on the right side of the No. 10 Kaulig Racing machine, driver Austin Dillon had to get out of the car because he was getting too hot.
Dillon said he would be okay and declined to go to the infield care center at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He said he wasn’t overheated or dehydrated. UPDATE: Richard Childress said following the ALSCO 300 that Dillon was checked out at the care center and confirmed that he was burned on his ribs and below his shoulder. He said, Dillon would be “fine” and the team would “tape him up” tomorrow. He also added that it was a smart call on his grandson’s part to take himself out of the car but that wouldn’t have happened if he was in the Cup car.
“He would have toughed it out,” Childress told Kickin’ the Tires.
“It was my ribs,” Dillon said, as he was walking back into the Cup Series garage to get on his golf cart. I was other than that. My hydration is good, I just couldn’t take the heat. Had a pretty decent car but I didn’t want to kill myself today, for tomorrow. The ribs were what were hot, the metal inside is what was hurting me. It wasn’t anything else. I could have made it if it wasn’t for that.”
He was replaced by his Richard Childress Racing teammate, Daniel Hemric.
