With 31 laps to go in Sunday’s (Oct. 12) NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, William Byron hit Ty Dillon in a vicious crash that destroyed both Chevrolets.
The stories of Dillon and Byron in regard to communication before the incident did not corroborate.
“I never saw him wave,” Byron told USA Network. “I didn’t see any indication that he was pitting. It was probably 12 to 15 laps after we had pitted, so I thought the cycle was over. Nobody said anything to my spotter for what I know. I had zero idea. Everyone’s been wrapping the paint around the bottom of the corner, and that’s what I was doing to have a good lap. He starts slowing, [and] I had no idea what was going on. I’m just devastated. I had no indication.”
But Dillon differed and claimed he did wave.
“My spotter told me that he let the No. 24 spotter know that we were coming to pit road,” Dillon said. “Maybe I didn’t wave him off enough, but I feel like at this level, you trust your spotter to do that. I don’t know what we do different there.”
Byron was running in second place at the time and was en route to a great points day to kick off the Round of 8. Dillon, meanwhile, was just trying to nurse an ill-handling Kaulig Racing machine home.
The crash relegated Byron to a 36th-place finish and saw him drop 15 points below the cut line going into the second race of the Round of 8.
A member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Samuel also covers NASCAR for Yardbarker, Field Level Media, and Heavy Sports. He will attend the University of Arkansas in the fall of 2025.
I love reading comments from people who have NEVER sat in a race car. Byron should spend a little time looking ahead and this could have been avoided.
All Dillon’s fault–no wave. Not a Byron fan, but that was inexcusable.
It’s a Dillon we are talking about here. ‘Nuff said!
Never saw in any replay that the 10 waved at all. Starting races at a time when drivers have to look directly into the sun is good for TV, good for the highlight reel, but terrible for the drivers. Given Dillon’s competitiveness at that moment, a thinking driver would look in his mirror and have a very low approach to pit road. Was shaving 0.2 seconds off his pit stop going to matter to his finish? This was a foolish move made by a driver that would never be in a Cup ride without the ‘nobility’ in his family tree. With all the young talent waiting in the wings for a Cup ride, nepotism speaks louder than talent.
I don’t know what they can do but I think NASCAR should at least suspend Ty Dillon
Dillon, actually both of them, are only in Cup, because of money bags grandpa. Both are terrible…Ty being the worst … what a hack… and how about calling both driver and spotter to the principals office?? Someone’s not telling the truth here.
Also not a huge Byron fan but that was a big hit none of it his fault, maybe the 10 car should sit out the next race…yeah right!