NASCAR driver walks away from horrifying crash

NASCAR driver Austin Dillon has survived one of the most spectacular crashes the sport has ever seen.

Dillon was competing in the Sprint Cup Series at Daytona International when a last-lap multi-car wreck sent his car flying.

It flipped and struck the catch-fencing before coming to rest upside down -- parts of the vehicle scattering across the track and infield.

Dillon was able to walk away, waving to fans as he did.

He had finished seventh in the race won by Dale Earnhardt Jr ahead of Jimmie Johnson, with Denny Hamlin third despite a late spin.

"That scared the hell out of me, to be honest," Earnhardt said of Dillon's airborne crash.

"That was terrifying to watch," he said. "A wreck like that has such high potential for someone to get injured. You just wonder about everyone else in the grandstands. It was touch and go there for several moments."

Broadcaster NBC reported that several fans in the stands were treated for minor injures, perhaps from flying debris.

Earnhardt started from pole and led 97 of 161 laps en route to his second victory of the season in NASCAR's premier series.