Austin Hill returns from NASCAR suspension, says crash was a “racing incident”

Austin Hill is again on the monitor 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 in which, Hill appeared to deliberately flip to the left and hook Almirola exhausting into the surface wall.

Whereas Hill continues to say that the contact was unintentional, it would not change the truth that NASCAR determined to droop him, forcing the Richard Childress Racing driver to overlook the Xfinity race at Iowa Speedway. And whereas he has been granted a playoff waiver, the suspension implies that Hill has misplaced all 21 playoff bonus factors in a serious hit to his title shot.

Hill pleads innocence, will not change the way in which he drives

Earlier than the inexperienced flag at Watkins Glen, Hill took a second to talk with The CW concerning the incident and his mindset going ahead.

“I am going to in all probability get backlash for it, however completely not,” stated Hill, when requested if he’ll change the way in which he races his fellow opponents. “I am gonna nonetheless race the way in which I all the time do. I am a hard-nosed racer. It was totally unintentional. It is easy for me saying that proper now with it being two weeks out, however I am a particularly trustworthy individual.”

Hill talked about a earlier case of reckless driving the place he was penalized, citing the Charlotte 2024 incident with Cole Custer. Hill was fined $25,000 and docked 25 factors. “The primary purpose I received that penalty (with Custer) is as a result of I informed Wayne Auton (NASCAR Xfinity Sequence director) precisely what occurred and that I might take any penalty that got here my approach and maintain it on my shoulders. And that is as a result of I knew I used to be within the mistaken in that occasion, however this occasion was a completely totally different deal.”

Regretting the radio outburst

Nonetheless, there’s something Hill regrets concerning the state of affairs at Indianapolis. On the radio, he hurled expletives at NASCAR after he was held for 5 laps in the course of the race.

“Actually, the one factor I want I may take again are the issues I stated on the radio,” admitted Hill. “Aside from that, the issues that occurred on the race monitor was totally unintentional. It was a racing incident, however the advantage of it right this moment is that we now have a extremely quick Chevrolet and we will go on the market and present all people the way it’s executed.”