Daytona 500 winner leaves permanent reminder of his historic win
Any driver who conquers the Daytona 500 leaves his mark on NASCAR history.
Austin Dillon not only won the Great American Race on Sunday, but he did it in Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3 car.
How did the 27-year old celebrate the biggest victory of his career?
Dillon decided to “mark” his win with a tattoo saying “Champ” on — as they say in racing — his rear bumper.
Austin Dillon gets Daytona 500 butt tattoo to commemorate victory https://t.co/TgDBBq1GrN pic.twitter.com/hA4AuDP9HM
— Orlando Sentinel (@orlandosentinel) February 19, 2018
There is no photographic evidence of the tattoo — and it doesn’t sound like there will be — so you’ll have to take Dillon’s word that it exists.
“You’ll never be able to see it,” Dillon said Monday. “It’s pretty cool looking today. [My wife] Whitney is probably the only one that is going to see it for a while.”
Dillon got the tattoo Sunday night, but by Monday, he was still feeling the effects.
“It hurt,” Dillon admitted. “It feels OK this morning, but one of my boys smacked me on the butt when I came over here, and I was like, ‘Easy, guys.'”
Apparently, the boss inspired some of his employees.
Some newer folks of Dillon’s race team got “wolfpack” tattoos, to match what some veteran members of the team had already received.
“We had talked if we won the Daytona 500, there were going to be a couple of us initiated into the wolfpack,” said shock specialist Clay Alexander, who is in his fourth year with the team. “This isn’t something we’re messing around with.
“This is a real deal. I’m going to have it for the rest of my life. I’m pretty hard core about the 3 car and what I’m doing, and I’m very proud to have it. … It’s a pretty sacred thing. It’s kind of surreal.”
Crew chief Justin Alexander did not get the tattoo just yet.
“I didn’t get one,” Alexander said. “If we win a championship, I’ll get a tattoo on my face.”
Dillon’s posterior is expected to be healed in plenty of time for next weekend’s race in Atlanta.
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