RELATED: Dillon celebrates amid fireworks at Charlotte
CONCORD, N.C.—Pre-race ceremonies for the NASCAR XFINITY Series Drive for the Cure 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway had a scary moment for Austin Dillon.
A firework came down next to the pole sitter and his girlfriend, Whitney Ward. The firework landed on Dillon’s backside and burnt the back of his fire suit, NBCSN reported before the race got underway.
By the way the driver of No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet drove on this night, he seemed fine. He led 61 laps en route to completing a season sweep of the Charlotte XFINITY Series events in 2015, while also scoring his fourth XFINITY win of the year in just his 16th start.
“I was praying with my girlfriend and I think it was a sign from God,” Dillon said after the race. “He said, ‘your getting ready to have a good night or something.’ Get your butt in gear.”
Dillon said it hurt a little bit and showed off his burnt fire suit in the media center.
Dillon’s crew chief, Danny Stockman Jr. said that the whole thing didn’t seem real.
“To be honest with you, it was looking at a movie screen and seeing all the light crashing right in front of you,” Stockman said. “I thought it was not real for a second. Then, it kind of went in between the door and Austin’s butt. It burnt his fire suit up. It burnt the wrap on the car. They tell kids don’t play with fireworks for a reason.”
Stockman admitted to also being concerned about possible damage to the car from the firework.
“As it fell it hit the left front side skirt and went underneath the car. As hot as whatever is coming off that firework is, it could have burned something underneath there. We checked it out and it was good. Pretty wild.”