WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.: Austin Hill had opportunities to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2024, but the Winston, Ga. native said the decision was easy to remain with Richard Childress Racing for the foreseeable future.
Earlier this week, the Welcome, N.C.-based race team announced the re-signing of Hill – a four-time winner in 2023 in a multi-year deal that will see him return as the Xfinity Series driver of the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro next season.
“Really, the past two or three months, there’s been a lot going on outside of racing. I’ve been talking to a lot of different teams, potentially about going Cup racing, and I’ve actually came very close to going Cup racing,” Hill said Saturday morning at Watkins Glen International.
“At the end of the day, Richard (Childress) made it pretty tough on me. Just because of the man he is and everything that we’ve done last season and this season together. I’m very, very loyal to a fault. Richard and I share the same values. We like doing the same things. It makes it really easy to work for somebody like Richard Childress when you do the same thing together. We went hunting last year together. We went hunting again this season in between Martinsville and Phoenix.”
Hill mentioned that there were more elements than just driving the race car on Saturdays that wanted him to remain with the team in a deal that goes through the 2025 NASCAR season.
“There’s a lot of things outside of just driving the race car that this just made sense to me,” Hill added. “That’s one of the reasons it made it, at the end of the day, an easy decision to stay here with RCR and to keep building that momentum with them going forward. It’s really nice to see we’re doing a multi-year deal, and I can sleep better at night know what my future looks like for the next few years.”
With a contract in place for the next two years, Hill knows he’ll return to the Xfinity Series tour in 2024, but what he does beyond that is still up for discussion. Eventually, the six-time Xfinity Series winner would like to carve a path that leads to the NASCAR Cup Series.
Hill says circumstances would have to fall into place whether or not that becomes a reality.
“Next year, it will definitely be Xfinity, for sure,” explained Hill. “Going forward after that, it all depends. If things open up. Let’s say RCR is able to acquire a third charter or something like that; there’s no telling what could happen. As of right now, it is structured for Xfinity for the next two years, but there again, things could change, and the way the contract is structured and all, it could obviously change.
“Maybe at the end of next year, we might have a better understanding of where we might be.”
Hill will remain focused on a Xfinity Series championship with RCR in 2024, but the eight-time Truck Series winner would not rule out a limited Cup schedule next year – similar to what he’s done with Beard Motorsports.
He’ll run in at least three more Cup races in 2023, including next weekend at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway ROVAL in early October.
“There are options out there to try to run some Cup races,” said Hill. “You know, if I can next year run five, six, seven Cup races, that would be great to do. As of right now, I don’t have anything for next season or the season after on Cup side.
“I am hoping to run some different various race tracks and not really run the same ones that I’ve been doing like the superspeedways. If we do run some Cup races, with Beard (Motorsports) or wherever that is, I’d like to try run some mile-and-a-halves, maybe some short tracks, that type of thing. Just dip my toes into those and see how I like it.”
While dabbling in the Cup Series this season on a limited basis with Beard Motorsports, Hill said he isn’t interested in rushing to compete in the pinnacle division of the sport. Right now, the Xfinity Series is a perfect fit for the 29-year-old.
“Honestly, I love running the Xfinity Series; I love racing the Xfinity cars,” sounded Hill. “They’re a lot of fun to drive. There’s a lot of sliding around in those things. Actually, I’m really happy with where I’m at right now, and I don’t think I have to rush it to go to Cup. I’m having a lot of fun right now where I’m at.”
With four races remaining in the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season, Hill remains a contender for the regular season title. Still, Hill said his team is paying attention more to the margin than he is entering Saturday afternoon’s Shriner Children’s Hospital 200.
“I think my team is probably looking at that a lot more than I am,” offered Hill. “I know if (John Hunter Nemechek) is in front of me, I can see it on the race track. If I see the No. 20 in front of me, I’m not panicking or anything, but I do know I’m losing some points to him.
“The biggest thing for me is I know I’m doing my job as long as I’m staying in front of him, (Justin Allgaier) and (Cole Custer). At the end of the day, we’re trying to win races and trying to get stage wins because bonus points up rack up for when the playoffs start. We are definitely looking at it, but I’d say my team is monitoring it more than I am.”
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