What’s Happening?

Austin Hill remains one of the top talents in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, but the Cup Series opportunities have not presented themselves aside from a few part-time starts. He is fiercely loyal to his race team, Richard Childress Racing, but despite RCR having a Cup Series program, Hill likely isn’t getting a full-time Cup Series chance in 2025. Will he get one at some point?

• Austin Hill made his way into NASCAR relatively late. His first full-time season came in the Truck Series in 2018, as he turned 24. He ended up winning eight races for Hattori Racing Enterprises.
• After leaving Hattori, Hill joined RCR in 2022. Since then, he’s won eight races in 85 starts, with a best-points finish of fifth in 2023.
• RCR is in a strange position as a race team. With shuffling amongst executives and a struggling Cup Series program, could a Cup Series opportunity open up for Hill?

What Has to Happen For Hill to Make it to Cup?

One thing is for sure: Austin Hill is an RCR loyalist. That was no further on display than last year when he signed a multi-year contract extension with the team. Hill is going to be with RCR for a while beyond 2024.

While the young Jesse Love has given Hill a run for his money, Hill remains the top driver at RCR, with more wins, top-fives, top-10s, and a higher points position. If a Cup Series seat opens up at RCR after 2025 ends, Hill might get the nod as Love spends more time developing in the Xfinity Series.

Why do we mention post-2025 instead of pre-2025? There is no way Hill will be a full-time Cup Series driver at RCR in 2025 because both Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch are under contract. Austin Dillon told Sirius XM NASCAR Radio that he’s signed through 2026, and Candice Lee Spencer of Catchfence reported on the Performance Racing Network that Busch’s contract runs through 2024 with a team option for 2025.

However, will Busch leave RCR after 2025? He is having one of the worst seasons he’s ever had at the Cup Series level, and he said, “Anything’s possible” when the media at Iowa asked whether or not he would be willing to return to Joe Gibbs Racing in the future.

If Busch leaves after 2025, could Hill come in to take that spot? Hill has made three Cup Series starts this season in a third RCR entry, the No. 33 car, but he’s finished outside the top 30 in all of those starts.

It’s also worth noting that RCR is undergoing major changes at its highest levels. Executive Vice President Andy Petree abruptly retired in June, opening the door for more changes. Could that change Hill’s standing at RCR?

Although 2025 may not be the year Hill moves up to Cup, 2026 could be interesting for one of the Xfinity Series drivers.

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