Austin Hill might solely be in his third full-time NASCAR Xfinity Sequence season, however he’s established himself as the most effective superspeedway racer within the sequence.
Since becoming a member of Richard Childress Racing full-time within the sequence in 2022, Hill has received 5 of the 12 races on drafting tracks, (Daytona, Atlanta, Talladega) together with the final three season openers at Daytona. He’s received twice at Atlanta, the subsequent cease on the Xfinity Sequence calendar, successful the spring race a yr in the past and the summer time race in 2022.
Hill may’ve added much more superspeedway trophies to his assortment, nonetheless, as he practically received the 2022 summer time Daytona race earlier than operating out of fuel on a late restart. He completed runner-up to eventual winner Ty Gibbs within the inaugural race on the reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2022, and he led 60 laps after beginning on the pole on the Talladega fall race that very same yr earlier than developing quick.
2023 additionally introduced Hill near extra superspeedway victories, as he as soon as extra received the pole at Talladega within the spring of 2023, main 14 laps earlier than finally ending 18th. Hill additionally began from the pole in the summertime Daytona race, main 36 laps, however pale to 14th as Justin Allgaier and Sheldon Creed battled for the win. Add in Hill’s qualifying accolades on superspeedways, together with a front-row begin at Daytona final week, and it’s clear that he’s the motive force to beat on superspeedways in NASCAR’s second-tier sequence on each qualifying day and raceday.
Returning to his native Georgia this weekend, Hill is searching for his sixth superspeedway win and third on the reconfigured observe. Hill is taken into account the favourite for this Saturday’s race, particularly contemplating his teammate, Jesse Love, is anticipated to be operating up entrance and will work with Hill when push involves shove.
Whereas the sector is aware of Hill is the person to beat this weekend, really beating him is less complicated mentioned than carried out. It’ll take good teamwork, calculated strikes and a quick racecar as a way to do it.
The most important query within the storage space needs to be if anybody can step up onto the excessive banks of the Atlanta Motor Speedway and defeat the motive force who at the moment appears unbeatable on the drafting tracks.
They’re going to have their likelihood to usurp the superspeedway king this Saturday at 5 p.m. ET within the RAPTOR King of Powerful 250 at Atlanta, the second race of the 2024 Xfinity Sequence season.
