Austin Hill denied using the forbidden right hook to intentionally wreck Aric Almirola on Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. NASCAR disagrees.
On Tuesday, the sanctioning body delivered the harshest of punishments for Hill, suspending the Richard Childress Racing driver for this weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Iowa Speedway. RCR wasted no time responding to the penalty, saying the organization won’t appeal.
RCR also announced that Austin Dillon, one of its full-time Cup Series drivers, will replace Hill in the Xfinity Series event at Iowa.
What Did Austin Hill Do To Incur The Wrath Of NASCAR?
Austin Hill’s suspension comes after he appeared to deliberately hook the right rear of Aric Almirola’s Toyota with the left front of his RCR Chevy, sending Almirola directly into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway wall at a very high rate of speed late in the race. Hill claimed his sudden move down the track into Almirola’s path resulted from a tap he had just received from Almirola that sent his No. 21 car for a slide before he managed to gather it back up.
“I couldn’t hang onto it,” Hill said. “I was not trying to right-rear him.”
The yellow flag is out at @IMS following this incident involving multiple cars.@Aric_Almirola exited the No. 19 under his own power. pic.twitter.com/tOaYGsLFJw
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) July 26, 2025
Almirola wasn’t buying Hill’s version. He said the perennial Xfinity Series championship contender’s move was “uncalled for” and accused Hill of retaliating for their contact seconds earlier. The former full-time Cup Series driver turned Xfinity Series part-timer for Joe Gibbs Racing also said the impact of his crash was one of the hardest he’s ever felt in a race car.
Other industry notables, including JR Motorsports co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., called for Hill to be suspended.
Hill’s NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner, Richard Childress, meanwhile accused NASCAR of treating RCR differently than other organizations. Asked after the race at Indy if NASCAR should suspend Hill, Childress bristled.
“Hell no. They didn’t do a damn thing to the 2 car (of Austin Cindric) when he wrecked Ty (Dillon) and admitted to it,” Childress said, referencing an accident in March at Circuit of the Americas. “Drove him in the right rear and wrecked him at COTA. It’s who you are. We’re a blue-collar team. They give us trouble all the time.”
NASCAR reached a different conclusion than Childress, sitting Hill for one race after already parking him for five laps at Indianapolis in the aftermath of his collision with Almirola.
#NASCAR … This is what car owner Richard Childress said to reporters after last weekend’s Xfinity race at Indy about if Austin Hill should be suspended for his actions against Aric Almirola on the track … pic.twitter.com/CPgZQpztOm
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) July 29, 2025
Austin Hill’s Suspension Has Far-Reaching Consequences That Go Beyond Iowa
Austin Hill’s one-race suspension carries massive implications.
Missing out on any points he might earn at Iowa is just the start. Hill also must forgo any playoff points he’ll accrue in the regular season. NASCAR drivers earn five playoff points for every race win. They earn a single playoff point for each stage win.
Hill has gone to Victory Lane three times this season and collected six stage wins, leaving him with a total of 21 playoff points.
As a result of Tuesday’s penalty, he will start the Xfinity Series playoffs no better than tied for last among the 12 championship-eligible drivers. While the Winston, Georgia native can certainly rebound from this setback, it won’t be easy.
In the meantime, he’ll have a week to reflect on Indy and what he might have done differently.
