NASCAR
Austin Hill Signs For 5 NASCAR Cup Series Races; Justin Allgaier Earns Top Xfinity Championship Odds
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry, in both print and digital media. He joined the Sportscasting team in 2021 following a decade of freelancing. He spent his early career as a reporter for various newspapers in Illinois, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan, with a particular emphasis as a beat reporter for the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Oakland University. Over the course of his career he earned several sports writing awards, including two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing and news reporting. One of the five prized columns included a commentary on NASCAR's increasing corporate influences, particularly in northern racetracks — commentary which you might find Jeff building on as part of the Motorsports writing team at Sportscasting now.
Get to know Jeff Hawkins betterPublished05 Apr 2025
With a NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff spot secured and entering Saturday’s event at Martinsville Speedway ranked fourth in the drivers’ standings, Austin Hill (202 points) appears positioned to challenge front-runner Justin Allgaier (249) for the circuit’s regular-season championship.
With the No. 21 Chevrolet team on cruise control after appearing in the Championship 4 race last season, Hill signed with Richard Childress Racing to appear in five Cup Series events, beginning with the April 6 event at Darlington Superspeedway.
Hill will pilot the No. 33 Chevrolet during the Chicago Street Race (July 6) and also at Daytona (Aug. 23), Bristol (Sept. 13) and Talladega (Oct. 19).
Andy Street will serve as Hill’s crew chief. In 10 previous Cup starts, Hill led just one of 1,540 laps and has yet to record a top-10 finish.
“Racing for Richard at any level is an honor, but especially in the Cup Series,” Hill said via press release. “I’ve enjoyed my starts in the Cup Series so far and the goal is to keep learning every time I climb into the car. We have been strategic with adding new tracks to the lineup each season, which allows me to gain valuable experience.
“The focus remains on winning the Xfinity Series championship in November, but any laps in the Cup car are important for the future.”
BetOnline Sportsbook tabbed Allgaier (+275) with its top sports-betting odds to capture the circuit title. Hill (+600) was tied with Jesse Love and Sam Mayer.
NEWS: @_AustinHill and @UnitedRentals return to NASCAR Cup Series with Richard Childress Racing.
Read more: https://t.co/y79zAf74Kc pic.twitter.com/oTpP5BlL8x
— RCR (@RCRracing) March 24, 2025
2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Drivers’ Championship Odds
Here is a Week 7 look at the drivers’ odds for the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, according to BetOnline Sportsbook:
| Driver | 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Odds |
|---|---|
| Justin Allgaier | +275 |
| Connor Zilisch | +500 |
| Austin Hill | +600 |
| Jesse Love | +600 |
| Sam Mayer | +800 |
| Sheldon Creed | +900 |
| Sammy Smith | +1200 |
| Taylor Gray | +1800 |
| Nicholas Sanchez | +2000 |
| William Sawalich | +2200 |
| Carson Kvapil | +2500 |
| Brandon Jones | +2500 |
| Christian Eckes | +2800 |
| Harrison Burton | +4000 |
| Ryan Sieg | +5000 |
| Jeb Burton | +8000 |
| Dean Thompson | +10000 |
| Matt DiBenedetto | +10000 |
| Parker Retzlaff | +12500 |
| Josh Williams | +12500 |
| Daniel Dye | +12500 |
| Kyle Weatherman | +12500 |
| Jeremy Clements | +15000 |
| Blaine Perkins | +15000 |
| Ryan Ellis | +15000 |
| Kyle Sieg | +30000 |
| Leland Honeyman Jr. | +50000 |
| Kris Wright | +50000 |
| Garrett Smithley | +50000 |
| Brennan Poole | +50000 |
*-Odds current at time of publication
