Austin Hill (21) racing Sammy Smith (8) during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway. (Photo: Ricky Martinez | The Podium Finish)
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Austin Hill finished in 10th place in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway, placing last of the Championship 4 drivers.
Early on, it looked like Hill would be the one to beat, finishing fourth in Stage 1, which was the highest of the four drivers contending for the title. But as the race went on, Justin Allgaier and Cole Custer got better, leaving Hill to have to attempt a bold pit strategy at the end of the race.
With three laps to go, a caution came out after Leland Honeyman got spun, sending the race to overtime. This brought all of the drivers down pit road and needing to do something different to have a shot, Hill’s team elected to take right side scuffs only to get track position.
Even with the improved track position, the older tires were too much to overcome for Hill and he was unable to keep up with Allgaier as he claimed his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series title.
Despite the defeat, he made sure to show his appreciation for Allgaier and congratulated the veteran following the race.
Austin Hill during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway. (Photo: Ricky Martinez | The Podium Finish)
“He’s a heck of a racecar driver and he’s going to be a great champion for the Xfinity Series,” Hill said in his post-race press conference. “I feel like Justin (Allgaier) and I race each other extremely hard, but we also race with a lot of respect, and I just wanted to show that respect back to him.”
When looking back at the two overtime restarts, Hill did not think there was anything he could have done differently given his tire situation versus the rest of the field.
“I actually have no idea what I could’ve done differently to beat the 00 (Custer) or the 7 (Allgaier),” Hill said. “With us being on such a tire disadvantage and tires meaning so much here, so we knew it was going to be a tall order and it just didn’t work out.”
Hill had another great season for Richard Childress Racing, scoring four wins and although not matching the overall numbers he had in 2023, made it to his first Championship 4 experience. Reaching the finale also brought a new understanding for him going into 2025.
“It’s just one race, one race doesn’t really solidify your season,” said Hill. “You just got to be resilient for one race and Phoenix has been a track we’ve struggled at a little bit as an organization. Coming back next year, if we’re able to make it to the Final Four again, just staying on top of the race track a little better.”
Austin Hill walking on stage during driver introductions at Phoenix Raceway for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship. (Photo: Ricky Martinez | The Podium Finish)
Although disappointed, Hill is still proud of all that he and his No. 21 team accomplished in 2024 and he knew that reaching the Championship 4 was nothing to hang their heads at.
“To get to this point and make it to the Final Four that’s all you can really ask for is a shot at it,” said Hill. “We had a shot at it, we came up short, but we’re going to hold our heads up high and get ready for next season.”
As for next season, Hill will return to the No. 21 car in 2025 for his fourth season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Richard Childress Racing. He believes that he will have another shot and that the restructuring within the team will make them better once Daytona rolls around in February.
“We’re going to be a lot better going into next year, there’s a lot of things going on at RCR,” Hill said. “I feel really good about where I’m at with RCR, I think that we’re making strides each and every year and if we keep doing that, we’ll end up a champion one day.”
