Austin Dillon reveals rib injury after Richmond win
During his post-victory television interview at the Start/Finish Line at Richmond Raceway Saturday night, Austin Dillon revealed he had been racing with a broken rib.
“I’m actually racing with a broken rib right now for the last two weeks,” Dillon said in his post-race television interview with USA Network.
The 35-year-old Dillon did not immediately elaborate about his injury or how he sustained it, but spoke more about it in the Richmond Raceway Media Center during his winner’s press conference.
“I don’t like to talk about it, but I fell off a ladder pulling my bow case off getting ready for hunting season,” Dillon said in response to a reporter question about the injury. “Fell on top of the bow case. It knocked the breath out of me. Knew it was pretty bad. Went ahead and raced Iowa. I got it x-rayed. Seventh one on my right is broken.
“I’ve been racing with it. It’s been pretty painful. I raced Watkins Glen, Iowa, then here. Should be good. It’s made pretty big improvements over the last two weeks.”
Common causes for a broken rib, also referred to as a rib fracture, include car accidents, falls, and sports injuries, according to the nonprofit medical center Cleveland Clinic.
Surgery for a broken rib is rare and a full recovery can be expected from a rib fracture, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Dillon led on five occasions Saturday night in the Cook Out 400, ultimately earning his sixth career NASCAR Cup Series victory and first of 2025.
The win propelled Dillon to a guaranteed NASCAR Cup Series Playoff position for the first time since 2022.
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Dominic Aragon View All
Dominic Aragon is currently the editor-in-chief for The Racing Experts.
From Grants, New Mexico, USA, Aragon started watching NASCAR in 2004 and has been covering the sport since 2009. Aragon is a 2012 graduate of Grants High School and a May 2016 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Mass Communications & Journalism. Aragon has worked in local and national media, as a musician, and an educator. He is co-author of the 2024 book "All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story" with racer Geoff Bodine.
Aragon, his wife Feliz, and son Christopher currently reside in Grants, New Mexico, USA.
You can reach Dominic at daragon@theracingexperts.net.