NASCAR Suspends Austin Hill for Incident at Indianapolis
NASCAR has suspended Austin Hill for one race in the Xfinity Series, following an incident at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The penalty is due to intentional contact with Aric Almirola during the competition.
The Richard Childress Racing team has confirmed that Cup driver Austin Dillon will replace Hill in the Xfinity Series race in Iowa this weekend.
In addition to the suspension, Hill has lost 21 accumulated playoff points in the 2025 season. He is also prohibited from earning points before the playoffs, according to a new rule implemented before the start of the 2025 season. To maintain his playoff eligibility, Hill must request a waiver.
Before the suspension, Hill was in a prominent position in the playoff standings. His point total resets to zero, which reduces his margin for error in the first round of the playoffs.
Hill, who currently holds seventh place in the Xfinity Series standings with three wins, could lose positions due to the suspension. It’s important to remember that only the top 12 drivers advance to the Xfinity Series playoffs.
The incident with Almirola occurred when both drivers were in the top five. Hill argued that the contact was not intentional, but NASCAR imposed a five-lap penalty on him. After receiving the penalty, Hill expressed his frustration.
The contact between both drivers caused Almirola to spin and crash into the outside wall. Hill finished the race in 34th position, while Almirola finished in 35th place.
