DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The only thing that seemed capable of stopping Austin Hill in Saturday’s United Rentals 300 was his own race car.
Unfortunately, a mechanical failure late in the third stage at Daytona International Speedway derailed his pursuit of a fourth consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at the World Center of Racing.
With Mother Nature scrubbing Xfinity Series qualifying on Saturday morning, Hill started his No. 21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet Camaro from the fourth position.
It didn’t take long for the Richard Childress Racing driver to flex his muscle. He surged to the lead on Lap 6 and controlled the field for five laps before the draft shuffled the running order. Hill remained a factor, reclaiming the top spot on Lap 12 and maintaining control to capture the Stage 1 victory—his first stage win of the season.
Following a pit stop during the stage break, Hill restarted just outside the top 10. By Lap 45, his expert drafting and racecraft had propelled him back to the front, where he stayed through the conclusion of Stage 2. However, signs of trouble had begun to surface.
As the stage wound down, multiple drivers reported fluid on their windshields and the distinct smell of rear-end grease. Hill, too, detected the burning odor of gear oil from inside the cockpit, triggering concern within the RCR camp.
The team hoped the issue would hold until the checkered flag, but as the stage break arrived, the problem worsened. Hill’s crew scrambled to diagnose and resolve the issue, spending 17 laps in Stage 3 working feverishly under the hood.
