WELCOME, N.C. – Austin Dillon has been cleared to return to NASCAR Cup Series competition after a positive COVID-19 test last week.
Dillon tested positive for COVID-19 on Aug. 15, forcing him to sit out the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series event at the Daytona Int’l Speedway road course on Aug. 16. Kaz Grala drove to a seventh-place finish in the No. 3 Chevrolet in place of Dillon.
In a statement, Richard Childress Racing confirmed Dillon has received two negative COVID-19 test results at least 24 hours apart, allowing him to be cleared to race this weekend at Dover Int’l Speedway.
“We commend NASCAR for their efforts in providing a safe environment for all fans and competitors, thank everyone in the industry for their well wishes and enthusiastically welcome Austin Dillon back to competition,” the team said in its statement.
Dillon was the second NASCAR Cup Series driver to test positive for COVID-19. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson was the first to test positive, which forced Johnson to miss the Big Machine Hand Sanitzer 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 5.