Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill Flourishes From Underrated Status

Austin Hill is thriving with Richard Childress Racing. The Nascar Xfinity Series rookie isn’t considered to be the championship favorite, but that’s OK in his mind.

“I’ve always felt I was an underdog and that I’m an underrated driver,” Hill said. “I love it. It doesn’t bother me one bit. People don’t take me seriously and they don’t think I can get the job done.”

Hill, 28, has always flown under the radar since he entered the Nascar Camping World Truck Series in 2014. He competed for underfunded teams like Young’s Motorsports and others like it, but earned the reputation of being a clean racer.

His tenacity behind the wheel led him to Hattori Racing Enterprises in 2019, where he was criticized for replacing 2018 champion Brett Moffitt. But Hill truly earned the ride, earning six top 10s with Young’s Motorsports. He brought some funding from United Rentals with him, but not a ton.

“United Rentals, we’ve worked together for a lot of years, even back in the Nascar K&N days,” Hill said. “They weren’t [sponsoring] the car, but they’d help out here and there. They’ve been a great company to work with and great to get along with. For United Rentals to help me out in my career as long as they have says a lot. It’s hard to find sponsorship and to keep sponsors, so to have a sponsor like United Rentals for so many years says a lot.”

Now, as Hill makes his way around the track in the No. 21 Chevrolet for one of Nascar’s top organizations, he’s living in the moment. He got off to a strong start, winning the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, just about guaranteeing himself a spot into the Xfinity Series playoffs.

Hill’s effort in the No. 21 car is supported by United Rentals
URI
, Bennett Transportation and Logistics, Global Industrial and Alsco Uniforms. The combination of sponsors has led Hill to newfound success, propelling him to a level and a team he never imagined he’d be a part of.

“To win right off the bat with RCR at Daytona was great, but we want to win more,” Hill said. “Our confidence is very high right now. I’ve always had a ton of confidence, and I work very hard. I do a ton of things outside of the racetrack that no one knows about because I’m not on social media a ton.

“I let my work speak for itself on the racetrack. I let the finishes and let what happens on the racetrack show my talent. It’s been great the last three or four years at HRE, and now at Richard Childress Racing. We’ve had great sponsors to let us get to this point, but you still have to drive the car and run up front.”

As Hill settles into the Xfinity Series, he understands the challenge ahead. The win at Daytona to start the season helps, but he wants to compete for victories each week.

Through the first eight races in 2022, he has four top fives, including a pair of runner-up finishes. Not too bad for someone who only made 15 starts prior to this year.

“Everybody at RCR is great, and we get along really well,” he said. “It seems like we’ve known each other for a long time. Working with Andy Street, my crew chief, they’ve been bringing stuff to the racetrack that suits my driving style.”

As Hill continues to thrive off the doubters, he plans on making the most of this experience. RCR last won the Xfinity Series championship with Tyler Reddick in 2019, and Hill hopes to be the next to win it all for RCR.