NASCAR playoff star dealing with injury concern after freak accident

A NASCAR playoff star has admitted that he's been struggling with a painful injury over the last few weeks.

Austin Dillon locked in his spot in the postseason with a stunning win at Richmond on Saturday night, and revealed after the race that he's been dealing with a broken rib from a freak accident of late.

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Unlike Connor Zilisch's broken collarbone, infamously suffered falling off his car while celebrating victory at Watkins Glen this month, Dillon's fracture came in an incident completely unrelated to his day job.

Instead, the 35-year-old was getting ready for hunting season at his home, falling off a ladder onto a bow case he was getting down in preparation for hunting season.

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Dillon reveals bizarre injury issue

Speaking after Saturday's race, he revealed: "I don't like to talk about it, but I fell off a ladder pulling my bow case off, getting ready for hunting season.

"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 (side) 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."

Fortunately for Dillon, he didn't even need to ask NASCAR to grant him an injury waiver for the playoffs on account of his missed race, having gutted through the injury to not just finish races but go back-to-back at Richmond...with the second win less controversial than the first.

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