WATCH: Furious Austin Dillon throws his helmet at Tyler Reddick’s car mid-race at Pocono Raceway

Austin Dillon throwing his helmet at Tyler Reddick
Austin Dillon throwing his helmet at Tyler Reddick

In a dramatic turn of events during Sunday's (July 23) Highpoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway, tempers flared as Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, expressed his frustration by throwing his helmet at former teammate Tyler Reddick's Toyota.

The incident occurred during the 106th lap of the 160-lap race while the drivers were battling for the tenth-place position.

As the field circled the 2.5-mile track under caution, the tension between Dillon and Reddick escalated. Both drivers found themselves in a challenging three-wide situation, with Brad Keselowski on the outside, Dillon in the middle, and Reddick on the inside as they entered Turn 1.

Contact between Dillon and Reddick ensued, causing the No. 3 car to spin out of control and crash into the outside wall, effectively ending Dillon's chances of a victory in the Cup Series race.

Thankfully, Austin Dillon emerged from the wreck unharmed and was able to walk away from the incident on his own.

However, the disappointment and anger over the racing accident were evident, leading to his impulsive and controversial decision to hurl his helmet in the direction of Tyler Reddick's No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota.

The incident quickly caught the attention of fans, fellow drivers, and race officials, reminding them of a similar incident from 2012 when a frustrated Tony Stewart launched his helmet on Matt Kenseth's car after being wrecked by the veteran driver amidst their battle for the lead at Bristol Motor Speedway.


Throwing helmet was not enough, he needed to start wrecking people, believes Austin Dillon

After being wrecked by Joe Gibbs Racing's Tyler Reddick in the 106th lap of the race, Austin Dillon let his emotions get the best of him, leading to an explosive moment that caught the attention of the racing world.

The incident occurred as the drivers came in contact while in fierce competition, battling for position during a critical moment in the race. The contact ultimately sent the No. 3 car spinning, leading to a devastating crash into the wall and an abrupt end to Dillon's chances of a strong finish.

After the race, Austin Dillon was visibly frustrated and shared his thoughts with NBC Sports, shedding light on the moments leading up to the incident. He described how he believed he was holding his own on the track, attempting to maintain his position amidst the tight racing conditions.

However, he felt that Reddick's aggressive move into the turn caused the contact that ultimately led to his crash.

"Tyler (Reddick) drove it in there, and obviously I feel like he drove it in deep enough where he had to come up the track into me. We can look at the SMT and see the little fine movements that we make, but I felt like that was not the time to do that for the No. 45 (Reddick)," said Austin Dillon.

Dillon stated that he felt he had the right to hold his lane and make the necessary movements to navigate the turn, given the three-wide situation. He expressed his disappointment with Reddick's decision to make such a risky move, especially at a crucial juncture in the race. Dillon's emotions were evident as he described the incident, and he made it clear that he did not agree with Reddick's driving tactics at that particular moment.

Frustration and anger simmered within Dillon, and it all came to a head as he climbed out of his wrecked car and made a spontaneous decision to throw his helmet at Reddick's car. The helmet toss caught many by surprise, serving as a clear indication of the intensity of the emotions running through the Richard Childress Racing driver's mind.

When asked whether the helmet throw was enough to vent his frustration, Austin Dillon's response was unequivocal. He stated that it was not sufficient and that he felt the need to take more drastic actions, including potentially "wrecking" other drivers on the track. He said:

"No, I just need to start wrecking some people."

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