NASCAR Cup Series star reveals plans for grisly 'good luck charm'

NASCAR Cup Series star Ty Dillon has opened up on the incident which reduced Michigan's squirrel population by one last Sunday.

Eagle-eyed viewers at home spotted the luckless rodent sprinting in front of Dillon's car in pit lane during the race at Michigan, with the broadcast later playing the radio clip of the 33-year-old asking his team if he'd made contact.

He had, they confirmed, and Dillon talked this week about the unexpectedly viral moment on the BIGPLAY Cleveland Show, after wrapping up the more racing-related side of the weekend.

"Probably the worst thing that happened was coming away with the death of a poor little squirrel on pit road," he said, sending the host into a minor laughing fit.

READ MORE: NASCAR star Ross Chastain benefits as Team Penske driver demoted after Michigan race

Dillon's race car body count on the rise

Asked if he'd ever hit a squirrel during a race in the past, he revealed: "Never a squirrel...I don't even know if I've ran over a squirrel in my street car. I've had some close calls but I feel like I've had a good streak between squirrels and rabbits, I haven't really gotten one.

"I have hit a couple of birds in my Cup career, I'm at like two birds and one squirrel at this point."

He also relayed the incident from his own point of view, joking that the team might taxidermy the crunched critter and keep it around as a good luck mascot at their pit box going forward.

"It was such a funny situation," he laughed. "I saw him running across and I'm literally going into my pit box, so things are happening a little slower. Apparently I hit him, the team in front of me – I could see the pit crew guy's face like 'ooohhhh'. I didn't know if I'd just barely missed him or just totally destroyed him.

"I came out the pit box and I was like 'hey...did I get that squirrel?' It took them like a lap to tell me! They were like 'hey buddy, the squirrel didn't make it'. Maybe we'll have to get him stuffed, put him on the pit box, put a little helmet on him, maybe he'll be our good luck charm."

READ MORE: Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson among NASCAR Cup Series stars hit with penalties at Michigan

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