{"id":132383,"date":"2025-08-09T18:35:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T18:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/132383\/"},"modified":"2025-08-09T18:35:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T18:35:10","slug":"austin-hill-doubles-down-on-defense-of-indianapolis-incident-after-return-from-suspension","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/132383\/","title":{"rendered":"Austin Hill Doubles Down on Defense of Indianapolis Incident After Return from Suspension"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Dustin Albino of NASCAR.com<\/a>, Hill defended his move at Indy. Coming off a one-race suspension, he explained that what happened was \u201cfully unintentional\u201d and he would\u2019ve done it at a different act if he wanted to turn Almirola intentionally.<\/p>\n

Related: NASCAR standings, see where Austin Hill sits in playoff standings<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u201cI know that when I go to my grave way down the road that it wasn\u2019t 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\u2019t one of those lose your mind moments and turn to the left. I feel like I\u2019m 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Austin Hill on the moment at Indianapolis Motor Speedway<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With eight laps to go in the Pennzoil 250, Almirola\u2019s 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\u2019s side turned and right hooked Almirola, sending the No. 19 turning and crashing nose-first into the wall.<\/p>\n

Almirola\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n