BROOKLYN, Mich. – Running mid-pack during Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Ty Dillon saw any hopes of a solid finish annihilated after hitting a piece of debris on the backstretch of Lap 134 of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.
Kyle Larson dodged the debris seconds before Dillon who was racing another competitor had nowhere to go and plowed to what appeared to be a backup battery from another competitor.
The contact destroyed the valance of the No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet while shattering the radiator causing fluid to leak underneath his Chevrolet Camaro and sending the Lewisville, N.C. native hard into the Turn 3 wall.
Dillon emerged from his damaged car unscathed and was later released from the infield care center.
“It was either a battery or a chunk of lead, which is really unfortunate,” Dillon said. “When you’re going that fast, you don’t realize until you hit something, and it goes through your oil cooler and you have no control of your car.
“We brought a better piece. We were running stronger all day, which is a good progression for our team. To hit something of someone else’s doing to ruin our day is unfortunate. And on top of it, it was a pretty hard hit.”
Dillon’s sophomore season has been filled with disappointment. Just one top-10 finish in 23 races has the son of former Xfinity Series driver Mike Dillon a distant 29th in points following his
38th place finish in the Irish Hills.
The 26-year-old heads to Bristol Motor Speedway next weekend looking to better his 28th place performance from Thunder Valley in April.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
