Avoiding two multi-car accidents over the final 10 laps, Austin Dillon emerged victorious in the Xfinity Series race Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway.
Dillon assumed the lead when the second “big one” collected several challengers on the backstretch with four laps remaining. The carnage began when leader Brian Scott attempted to swerve up the track and stunt the momentum of Elliott Sadler, who was already alongside Scott.
The contact sent Scott, who led a race-high 84 laps, nose-first into the wall and triggered a 12-car pileup.
“I told myself I was going to be aggressive and I was going for the win,” Scott said. “Obviously, I mistimed it a little bit. In hindsight, I should have stayed glued to the bottom, but I felt like I had to be aggressive.”
Said Sadler: “Brian just tried to make the move too late to block us.”
When the race restarted with two laps to go, Dillon fended off Sadler and Chase Elliott to take the win. Kasey Kahne and Benny Gordon completed the top-five finishers.
A Sprint Cup Series full-time competitor, Dillon won his third Xfinity win in 12 races this season and first-ever at Daytona. The victory carried added meaning because it came in a car owned by grandfather Richard Childress, who’s won the Daytona 500 twice and emphasizes running well at the restrictor-plate track.
“It’s Daytona. I have so many family memories here and have been to a lot of victory lanes with (Richard Childress Racing) and a lot of crazy events have happened here,” Dillon said. “I’m just happy for my grandfather.”
The first “big one” Dillon escaped came when younger brother, Ty, turned Ryan Reed on the frontstetch with 10 laps remaining. With the track blocked, several drivers were left with no room to maneuver.
