{"id":96253,"date":"2025-07-27T08:23:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-27T08:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/96253\/"},"modified":"2025-07-27T08:23:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-27T08:23:11","slug":"austin-hill-given-reckless-driving-penalty-for-crash-at-indianapolis-motor-speedway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/96253\/","title":{"rendered":"Austin Hill given reckless driving penalty for crash at Indianapolis Motor Speedway"},"content":{"rendered":"

INDIANAPOLIS \u2014 NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Austin Hill is facing a possible suspension by NASCAR after contact between Hill and Aric Almirola caused Almirola to crash during Saturday\u2019s Xfinity race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway \u2014 contact officials determined was \u201creckless driving\u201d by Hill and penalized him by parking him for five laps.<\/p>\n

The incident occurred during the closing laps when Almirola and Hill were racing for position inside the top 10 when Almirola got into Hill\u2019s rear bumper, causing him to slide up the track. Hill\u2019s car then turned left, hitting Almirola\u2019s car in the right-rear and causing him to crash head-on into the outside wall.<\/p>\n

Neither driver was injured, but Almirola described it as \u201cone of the hardest hits I\u2019ve taken in my NASCAR career.\u201d The Joe Gibbs Racing driver viewed Hill\u2019s actions as intentional.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t feel what he did was necessary. I felt like he could have easily fell back in line. He was damaged anyway. We were losing time to the leaders. It wasn\u2019t like we were on pace with them. He was holding me up clearly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just unfortunate. He obviously lost his mind right there. That was really bad judgment in my opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

The yellow flag is out at @IMS<\/a> following this incident involving multiple cars.@Aric_Almirola<\/a> exited the No. 19 under his own power. pic.twitter.com\/tOaYGsLFJw<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) July 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Immediately afterward, Hill said over his team\u2019s radio that he did not intentionally try to hook Almirola in the right-rear, an action NASCAR has both heavily penalized and suspended drivers for in the past.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t hang onto it; I was not trying to right-rear him,\u201d Hill told his Richard Childress Racing team.<\/p>\n

NASCAR disagreed and issued Hill a five-lap penalty for \u201creckless driving.\u201d After learning of the penalty, Hill further defended himself.<\/p>\n

\u201c(NASCAR) can go f\u2014 themselves. F\u2014 NASCAR. That is f\u2014ing bull\u2014-,\u201d he said over the radio.<\/p>\n

Hill declined to comment to reporters after the race.<\/p>\n

Because of the safety risks, intentionally hooking a competitor in the right-rear to cause them to crash is considered egregious (and dangerous) by the majority of drivers \u2014 especially on a high-speed oval like Indianapolis. Bubba Wallace (in 2022) and Chase Elliott (in 2023) were suspended one race for right-hooking another driver on a high-speed oval.<\/p>\n

Recently, there have also been similar\u00a0incidents where NASCAR did not suspend a driver even though they right-hooked a competitor.<\/p>\n

Last year, NASCAR heavily penalized RCR driver Austin Dillon, Childress\u2019 grandson, after officials ruled he deliberately crashed both Joey Logano and right-hooked Denny Hamlin on the final lap of a Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway as the trio raced for the win. Although Dillon was allowed to keep the win, he was stripped of the playoff eligibility\u00a0he otherwise would\u2019ve earned. He was also docked 25 driver points.<\/p>\n

This past spring, NASCAR penalized Austin Cindric 50 points and fined him $50,000 after officials ruled he intentionally right-hooked Ty Dillon (another Childress grandson) during a Cup race at Circuit of the Americas, a road course as opposed to an oval like Indianapolis or Richmond.<\/p>\n

The latter incident involving Cindric and Ty Dillon was top of mind for Childress following Saturday\u2019s race. When asked by The Athletic\u00a0whether Hill should be suspended, Childress directly referenced what transpired at COTA and how NASCAR responded.<\/p>\n

\u201cHell, no. They didn\u2019t do a damn thing to (Cindric) when he wrecked Ty (Dillon) and admitted to it \u2014 drove him in the right rear and wrecked him at COTA,\u201d Childress said. \u201cIt\u2019s who you are. We\u2019re a blue-collar team; (NASCAR) gives us trouble all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

NASCAR said the five-lap penalty did not close the book on any potential future penalties handed to Hill for intentionally wrecking Almirola and will review the incident during its post-race debrief. Any potential penalties would likely be announced mid-week.<\/p>\n

Rookie Connor Zilisch won the Xfinity race, his series-best fifth victory on the season.<\/p>\n

(Photo: James Gilbert \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n