Austin Hill Bio
Austin Edward Hill (born April 21, 1994) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Richard Childress Racing. A versatile competitor, Hill has earned wins across the Craftsman Truck Series and the Xfinity Series, and he owns the distinction of being a regular-season champion in both national touring series.
Born and raised in the Southeast, Hill built his career by working his way up through short tracks and regional series before reaching NASCAR’s national ranks. He is widely recognized for his speed on drafting tracks, where he has built a reputation as one of the series’ strongest superspeedway and plate-race competitors.
Early Life and Background
Austin Edward Hill was born on April 21, 1994, in Winston, Georgia. He grew up in a racing household and began competing at a young age, starting in go-karts before moving into stock car disciplines. By the age of six, he was already turning laps in competitive machinery, laying the foundation for a career that would eventually carry him to NASCAR’s biggest stages.
Hill progressed through the grassroots ranks with Legend cars and Bandolero racing, two of the most common entry points for young drivers in the American Southeast. His early results on short tracks helped him earn a reputation as a smooth, consistent racer with a sharp competitive edge, and those formative seasons shaped the driving style he would later bring to NASCAR’s national series.
Path to NASCAR
Hill’s path to the national ranks ran through the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, where he logged his first starts in 2012. He captured his first series win in 2013 while running a limited schedule, then returned in 2014 for his first full season, closing the year with consecutive victories to finish fifth in the final standings.
In 2015, Hill drove for a family-owned team and delivered a strong campaign that included a pole, two wins, and a third-place result in the championship. The performance attracted attention from Truck Series teams, and in 2016 he shifted his focus to the Camping World Truck Series, where he began the long climb toward a full-time ride and, eventually, a championship-caliber career.
Austin Hill Career
Early Career (2014–2018)
Hill made his Craftsman Truck Series debut in 2014, running a partial schedule with RBR Enterprises and Empire Racing. The early years were a mix of learning experiences, with a best finish of sixteenth at Dover highlighting his first Truck Series season. He continued to gain experience in 2015 and 2016, often piloting his own family-owned Austin Hill Racing entry while also running races for Empire.
By 2018, Hill had settled in at Young’s Motorsports, where he ran a full Truck Series schedule and earned a top-five finish at Texas Motor Speedway. That season marked a turning point in his development, and the consistency he showed convinced Hattori Racing Enterprises to sign him as their full-time driver for the 2019 campaign.
Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2019–2020)
Hill’s first season with Hattori Racing Enterprises in 2019 was a breakout year. He opened the year with a win at Daytona, set a new Truck Series track record on his way to a pole at Pocono, and added victories at Michigan and Las Vegas, the latter of which locked him into the Round of 6. He closed the season with a win at Homestead, finishing fifth in the championship standings.
In 2020, Hill returned to the No. 16 Toyota Tundra for a second full season and qualified for the playoffs. A win at Las Vegas advanced him to the Round of 8, where an Ilmor engine failure at Martinsville ended his title hopes. Despite the late setback, he secured the 2020 NASCAR Truck Series Regular Season Championship, cementing his status as one of the top talents in the series.
Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2021–2023)
After a part-time Xfinity debut in 2019 with Hattori Racing Enterprises, Hill moved to Richard Childress Racing full-time in 2022. He wasted little time announcing himself, scoring his first career Xfinity win at Daytona by passing A. J. Allmendinger on the final lap. He added a second victory at his home track of Atlanta, led the most laps, and despite an early playoff exit, he finished sixth in points and earned 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year honors.
The 2023 season was another milestone campaign. Hill opened the year with a second straight season-opening win at Daytona and added victories at Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Pocono. His consistency across the schedule earned him the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Regular Season Championship, the second regular-season title of his NASCAR career.
Richard Childress Racing Era (2024–Present)
Hill made history in 2024 by winning his third straight Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona, then used a fuel strategy to take the win at Atlanta the following week. He added a third victory at Atlanta later in the year and a playoff win at Homestead that punched his ticket to the Championship 4. Earlier in the season, a late-race incident with Cole Custer at Charlotte led to a $25,000 fine and a 25-point deduction, but Hill continued to perform at a high level throughout the year.
Hill opened 2025 with a 33rd-place finish at Daytona, but rebounded the following week with a win at Atlanta. He added victories at Martinsville and Talladega during the regular season, and despite a one-race suspension issued after an incident with Aric Almirola at Indianapolis, he returned to win again at Talladega, sweeping the Alabama track for the season. He has also made select Cup Series starts for RCR in the No. 33, including a ninth-place finish at the Chicago street race that marked his first career Cup top-ten.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hill is best known for his elite skills on drafting tracks, where his ability to read the air, time his runs, and execute late-race moves has produced wins at Daytona, Atlanta, and Talladega. His race craft on intermediates and short tracks has also improved steadily, and his aggressive yet calculated style pairs well with Richard Childress Racing’sChevrolet program.
Notable Races and Milestones
Hill’s signature moments include his first Xfinity win at Daytona in 2022, his three consecutive season-opening victories at Daytona from 2022 to 2024, and his Atlanta sweep in 2024. His first career Cup Series top-ten at the Chicago street race in 2025 also stands out as a meaningful milestone in his progression toward the top level of the sport.
Austin Hill Career Wins
Across NASCAR’s national touring series, Hill has built a resume highlighted by regular-season championships in both the Truck Series and the Xfinity Series, along with multiple victories on drafting tracks. His wins have come primarily at Daytona, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Pocono, Homestead, Martinsville, Talladega, and Michigan.
Xfinity Series Highlights
Hill has won multiple Xfinity Series races since moving to Richard Childress Racing full-time in 2022. His first win came at Daytona, and he has since added victories at Atlanta, Las Vegas, Pocono, Homestead, Martinsville, and Talladega. He is also a two-time Xfinity Series Regular Season Champion (2023) and the 2022 Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year.
Other Wins and Performances
Hill recorded his first NASCAR national series victory in the Truck Series at Daytona in 2019, then added wins at Michigan and Las Vegas later that season, plus a victory at Homestead in the finale. In 2020, he won again at Las Vegas and earned the Truck Series Regular Season Championship. Earlier in his career, he also posted multiple wins in the K&N Pro Series East during the 2013, 2014, and 2015 seasons.
Austin Hill Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hill comes from a racing family and grew up around the sport, with his family-owned Austin Hill Racing team fielding entries in the Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series from 2013 to 2017. Despite sharing a name with Ohio-born driver Austin J. Hill, the two are not related.
Personal Life
Hill is married to his wife, Ashlyn, and the couple has three children: two daughters, Lynnlee and Kensley, and a son, Barrett. He stands 6 feet 2 inches tall and continues to make his home in the Southeast, close to the short-track scene where his career began.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign has been a roller-coaster year for Hill. After opening the season with a disappointing 33rd-place finish at Daytona, he bounced back the following week with a win at Atlanta. He added victories at Martinsville and Talladega to stay in the regular-season title hunt, but an incident with Aric Almirola at Indianapolis resulted in a five-lap penalty, a one-race suspension from NASCAR, and the loss of all 21 of his accumulated playoff points.
Despite the setback, Hill returned from his suspension to win at Talladega, completing a season sweep of the Alabama track. He was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, but the win served as a reminder of his pace and determination. In addition to his full-time Xfinity duties, Hill has run select Cup Series races in the No. 33 for Richard Childress Racing, highlighted by a ninth-place finish at the Chicago street race that marked his first career Cup top-ten.
Heading into the offseason, Hill remains firmly planted in the RCR pipeline, with ongoing opportunities at both the Xfinity and Cup levels. His 2025 results underscored both his elite superspeedway speed and the areas where maturity and discipline can still sharpen his edge, leaving the door wide open for a strong rebound in 2026.