Latest news with #AricAlmirola
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Austin Hill returns from NASCAR suspension, says crash was a "racing incident"
Austin Hill is back at the track this weekend after NASCAR suspended him for one race following his involvement in a scary incident at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After Aric Almirola pushed him out of the way, Hill appeared to intentionally turn to the left and hook Almirola hard into the outside wall. While Hill continues to assert that the contact was unintentional, it doesn't change the fact that NASCAR decided to suspend him, forcing the Richard Childress Racing driver to miss the Xfinity race at Iowa Speedway. And while he has been granted a playoff waiver, the suspension means that Hill has lost all 21 playoff bonus points in a major hit to his title shot. Hill pleads innocence, won't change the way he drives Austin Hill, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Before the green flag at Watkins Glen, Hill took a moment to speak with The CW about the incident and his mindset going forward. "I'll probably get backlash for it, but absolutely not," said Hill, when asked if he will change the way he races his fellow competitors. "I'm gonna still race the way I always do. I'm a hard-nosed racer. It was fully unintentional. It's easy for me saying that right now with it being two weeks out, but I'm an extremely honest person." Hill mentioned a previous case of reckless driving where he was penalized, citing the Charlotte 2024 incident with Cole Custer. Hill was fined $25,000 and docked 25 points. "The main reason I got that penalty (with Custer) is because I told Wayne Auton (NASCAR Xfinity Series director) exactly what happened and that I would take any penalty that came my way and hold it on my shoulders. And that's because I knew I was in the wrong in that instance, but this instance was a totally different deal." Regretting the radio outburst Read Also: Austin Hill says 'F*** NASCAR' for penalty after wrecking rival in scary crash However, there is something Hill regrets about the situation at Indianapolis. On the radio, he hurled expletives at NASCAR after he was held for five laps during the race. "Really, the only thing I wish I could take back are the things I said on the radio," admitted Hill. "Other than that, the things that happened on the race track was fully unintentional. It was a racing incident, but the good thing about it today is that we have a really fast Chevrolet and we're going to go out there and show everybody how it's done." To read more articles visit our website.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR: Austin Hill Doubles Down on Defense of Indianapolis Incident After Return from Suspension
NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Austin Hill is returning from his one-race suspension on Saturday for his actions at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Pennzoil 250. Now two weeks removed from his incident with Aric Almirola, Hill is doubling down on his proclaimed innocefnce. Speaking to Dustin Albino of Hill defended his move at Indy. Coming off a one-race suspension, he explained that what happened was 'fully unintentional' and he would've done it at a different act if he wanted to turn Almirola intentionally. Related: 'I know that when I go to my grave way down the road that it wasn't done on purpose. From my standpoint, it was a full racing incident, full racing deal. I pleaded my case to NASCAR and everyone. I told [Peterson] everything that went down, showed him the SMT data, showed him that [Creed] and I were together before making contact with [Almirola]. From my standpoint, it was fully unintentional. It wasn't one of those lose your mind moments and turn to the left. I feel like I'm a smarter racer than that. If I was mad about him getting into the back of me, I would have waited until Turn 1 and shipped him like he shipped me in Turn 3. That would have been it.' Austin Hill on the moment at Indianapolis Motor Speedway With eight laps to go in the Pennzoil 250, Almirola's car moved Hill up the race track and the No. 21 car saved it before Turn 4. Once Hill saved it, avoiding a collision with the wall, the front driver's side turned and right hooked Almirola, sending the No. 19 turning and crashing nose-first into the wall. Almirola's day was immediately over and NASCAR officials parked him on pit lane for a five-lap penalty for reckless driving. As he sat in his pit stall, with the five-lap penalty having no real consequence because the car was heavily damaged, Hill cursed out NASCAR on the radio. Austin Hill stats (): 650 points, 3 wins, 12 top 10s, 9 top 5s, 3 DNFs, 287 laps led, 9.048 average starting position, 13.095 average finishing position Related: Hill and team owner Richard Childress have adamantly defended the move as an unintentional act, despite footage showing Hill's gloves turn the wheel to right hook Almirola after the car was already saved. Given Hill's history of reckless driving, including this season, NASCAR determined his actions warranted a one-race suspension. Far costlier than the one-race suspension is what happened because of the new NASCAR rules implemented this season. Because Hill's waiver to be granted a spot in the playoffs for missing a race was granted, he had to forfeit all of his playoff points (21, third-most in Xfinity Series) and he's ineligible for any playoff points during the remainder of the regular season. While many NASCAR fans were displeased that Hill received the waiver, it was always the expectation that it would be granted. However, the loss of his playoff points and the fact that he'll start with 0 points when the playoffs begin will very likely prevent him from winning the Xfinity Series championship in 2025. Related Headlines NASCAR Starting Lineup for Watkins Glen: Cup Series Qualifying Results, NASCAR Starting Grid and Pole for Sunday Patriots Day 2 pick gaining hype as potential 2025 NFL Draft steal Raiders Preseason Game Takeaways: Jamal Adams Thrives at New Position as Defense Needs Work Patriots PFF grades vs. Commanders: Garrett Bradbury, John Jiles among top performers in blowout win
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR says Austin Hill can still race for Xfinity Series title despite suspension for crashing Aric Almirola
Austin Hill will still be able to race for the NASCAR Xfinity Series title. NASCAR announced Tuesday night that Hill had received a waiver to make the playoffs following his one-race suspension for crashing Aric Almirola at Indianapolis. Hill hooked Almirola's car head-first into the wall after contact from Almirola made Hill's car loose entering Turn 3. Hill was penalized five laps for the crash and a suspension was all but inevitable after the race despite protestations from both him and team owner Richard Childress. Thanks to a rule NASCAR implemented before the 2025 season, Hill lost all of his playoff points because of the suspension. He was set to start the postseason with 21 points or more above the 2,000-point baseline thanks to his three wins and multiple stage wins during the regular season. But since he was suspended, Hill lost those 21 points and any other points he could accrue before the postseason began. Like his suspension, Hill's waiver from NASCAR was inevitable. And the waiver is another sign that NASCAR needs to simplify its playoff process. A driver who is suspended by NASCAR for disciplinary reasons should not simultaneously get forgiveness from NASCAR to keep a playoff spot. NASCAR could solve the waiver issue in multiple ways. It could remove a rule saying that a driver must attempt every race to get into the playoffs. With a win-and-in postseason format, NASCAR could simply quantify a minimum position in the points standings for playoff eligibility no matter how many starts a driver has. Hill could have also simply been penalized his playoff points. Making him sit out last weekend's race at Iowa Speedway isn't much of a factor. Had NASCAR revoked his playoff points, he'd still be in the same place in the points standings. Hill was fifth after Indianapolis and remained fifth and 28 points ahead of Carson Kvapil after he was suspended for the Iowa race. The playoff points were a far bigger part of the punishment than the suspension for Iowa. Simplifying the punishment process for 2026 and beyond to remove the need for a waiver in a situation like this would be a smart move for NASCAR.
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR Finally Went Nuclear and Unleashed Its Most Powerful Penalty
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Last off-season, NASCAR updated its playoff waiver rules to introduce a punishing new stipulation that would effectively destroy a suspended driver's regular season progress. Until last week, the series has avoided issuing any suspension that would trigger this rule. That changed as of Tuesday night, when Austin Hill was handed a one-race suspension for his actions during last Saturday's Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis. Hill's suspension comes after a five-lap in-race penalty for his actions in a wreck involving Aric Almirola. The crash started when Almirola got up to Hill's rear bumper, causing him to slide out but not lose control. Hill then cut back down the track after seemingly saving his car from spinning, slamming into Alimrola's quarter panel and sending his opponent spinning. Almirola would later accuse Hill of intentionally wrecking him, and the five-lap penalty Hill was handed by NASCAR in-race suggests that the series agreed. Because of the new rule, Hill's suspension includes a loss of all the playoff points he could accrue during the year's regular season. That includes 21 playoff points already earned, plus any others he could have claimed with race and stage wins over the next handful of races. That is a major hit in NASCAR's strange and over-complicated elimination playoff format, which carries playoff points (but not regular points) over through every round. Hill can still advance on in those elimination rounds — he will just have to do so without the help of the advantageous extra points he would have earned before the playoffs began. The ruling against Hill is part of a years-long push by NASCAR to clean up intentional wrecks, which have become a major problem in modern stock car racing. Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace have both received suspensions in the Cup Series for apparent intentional wrecks in recent years; Austin Dillon was not suspended for two different, seemingly intentional wrecks on the last lap of the regular season finale at Richmond last year, but he was effectively knocked out of the playoffs by a ruling determining that his win in the race did not count for postseason eligibility. The series previously opted not to hand out suspensions to Cup Series driver Austin Cindric and Xfinity Series driver Sammy Smith, both of whom were docked 50 regular season points instead. The suspension of Hill suggests that NASCAR viewed the hit as more egregious, more dangerous, or both. Since Hill caused the crash on a straightaway at a very fast oval rather than on a short oval or road course, series officials would have an argument for either option. NASCAR's second-tier Xfinity Series resumes with a race at Iowa Speedway on Saturday. Austin Hill, on the other hand, will be off until the race at Watkins Glen on August 9th. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
Yahoo
28-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sam Mayer fends off Allgaier, Almirola for Stage 1 victory
Sam Mayer holds on in the final corners, holding off Justin Allgaier and Aric Almirola to pick up the Stage 1 victory at Indianapolis.
