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WATCH: Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Funny Take on Austin Dillon’s Bizarre Mistake During Rolex 24 at Daytona Practice

Published 02/01/2021, 5:30 AM EST

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During the practice session for the Rolex 24 at Daytona, there was a bizarre incident. As it turned out, Austin Dillon ran wide and tried to rejoin in a different section of the track. Unfortunately, he failed to consider that there was oncoming traffic. According to race control, it was the ‘dumbest thing they had ever seen’.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. explained what happened in a hilarious way. The area where Dillon went off the track spilled out near the entrance of the first corner. Obviously, he got the shock of his life when he suddenly found himself in oncoming traffic. Dale Jr hilariously said that probably Dillon almost ‘pooped his pants’ when he appeared on the wrong side of the track.

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In the end, Dillon and his team ended the race in third in the LMP2 class and 10th overall. One would suggest that the little off-track excursion proved costly for the NASCAR driver. However, the good news was that the incident took place in a practice session.

Austin Dillon pretty much did a Kimi Raikkonen in the Rolex 24 at Daytona

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At the 2012 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix, there was a famous incident with 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen. After he ran wide in the slippery conditions, he tried to go down an escape route that would have led back to the track. Little did he realize until the very last moment, that the way was blocked.

USA Today via Reuters

As a result, the Finnish driver was forced to turn around and rally his way back to the track. In the end, the former Lotus F1 driver ended his race in 10th place, though it was enough to secure third in the championship.

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Coming back to Austin Dillon, the driver will be slightly disappointed to finish third in his class. The third-place finish also dented his chances of getting a Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona Winner tattoo. Apparently, he had got one after he won the NASCAR Daytona 500.

Austin Dillon Reveals Plans to Repeat NASCAR Daytona 500 ‘Tattoo Celebration’ if He Wins Rolex 24

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Written by:

Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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