Austin Hill is one of the top regulars in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, but, he does not seem to be popular amongst a certain contingent of fans. NASCAR Reddit asked who the most hated XfinitySeries driver currently is, and the most popular answer by far was Austin Hill. What did the fans have to say about Austin Hill, and why is he so hated on this Reddit thread?
Austin Hill did not gain many fans after the incident at Martinsville involving him and Sheldon Creed. First off, Creed seemed to get the raw end of the deal when many fans saw what happened as Creed simply racing for the win. On top of that, Hill seemed to out Creed’s 2024 plans by saying that Creed was going to Gibbs in 2024, and Hill said he “Can not wait” for Creed to leave RCR.
Now, Austin Hill was messed up by his teammate brake-checking in turn four, but, at the end of the deal, many came to Creed’s defense. Creed implied in his own interview that those at RCR favored Hill over Creed, so, many took Creed’s side over the incident. Regardless of who was right or who was wrong, Hill made some enemies among the fans that night.
However, the way that RCR as a whole handled it did not help things for Hill either. From Andy Petree yelling at Creed on pit road to Richard Childress calling Sheldon Creed “Stupid”, the entire thing seemed to sour many on RCR as a whole. With Hill being the driver RCR has committed to, it turned some fans off to Hill.
CathDubs is one of those who was frustrated at the way Hill and RCR handled the aftermath of the Martinsville incident.
eestionreddit says that the most hated Xfinity Series driver depends on who’s side you are on in the Sheldon Creed/Austin Hill incident.
MkeBucksMarkPope says that he did not like Hill before the incident, but, he really does not like Hill after the incident either.
Another incident that was brought up on Reddit was the incident between Austin Hill and Myatt Snider at Martinsville the season prior. This incident was a bit overshadowed by the Brandon Jones and Ty Gibbs scuffle near the front of the field, but, it still garnered some attention. After spinning Snider out, Hill was confronted by Snider after the race when Hill punched Snider. Yes, the driver who wrecked someone else punched the one he wrecked, not the other way around.
The optics of that are obviously very strange, and getting into any type of confrontation could alienate some fans. However, for some, it was the comments made by Hill after the incident. He went on the Dale Jr. Download earlier this year, and explained his side of the story.
Essentially, Hill decided not to go confront Snider after the incident because Hill said he was, “Too mad right now” after missing the Championship 4. Well, Snider came up to confront Hill anyway, and Hill repeatedly told Snider he did not want to talk right now. Soon, Snider said something that Hill said was “off-topic”, took hands out of his pockets, and stepped forward. At that point, Snider punched Hill.
Being unwilling to talk to a driver who you wrecked is definitely odd, and that may rub some people the wrong way. Regardless, it’s understandable why Hill did not want to talk because he had just missed out on the Championship 4. Not everyone was a fan of how Hill handled this incident, regardless, and a violent punch caught on camera does not endear people to a driver.
SuperMarioBrother64 accused Hill of sucker punching Snider.
Separate-Injury3690 played devil’s advocate, and he noted that Hill did not know Snider’s intentions, so, Hill reacted.
Bubbly_Squirrel5044 accused Hill of “fighting everyone”. He has been a part of some confrontations, which the Myatt Snider incident was one.
These were two specific incidents that were brought up when people explained why they didn’t like Austin Hill. Which side of the fence do you fall on?
