Tag: Austin Hill

  • Sauter-Hill Dustup at Iowa Should Lead To Suspension for Sauter

    Sauter-Hill Dustup at Iowa Should Lead To Suspension for Sauter

    NASCAR is once again in another rock-and-a-hard-place scenario where they could possibly be suspending a driver for a reckless retaliatory move during a caution. NASCAR’s punishments have been wildly inconsistent when it comes to situations like these, although one may argue that they handle it on a case-by-case basis. 

    That said, regardless of case-by-case or situational inconsistencies, Johnny Sauter’s temper could lead to him having to sit out a race or two, not unlike Matt Kenseth following his Martinsville punt of Joey Logano in 2015. Sauter’s retaliation on Austin Hill didn’t knock Hill’s No. 16 out of the race, but it was still at speed under caution, which in itself is a no-no.

    One could say Sauter brought this on himself. He was frustrated with slower traffic in Hill and bumped him out of the way, as one does on a smaller track. Hill returned the favor a bit too hard, sending Sauter into the wall. Was the ball in Hill’s court at this point? Yes. Could Sauter have held off until after the race to let Hill have it? If only. 

    Instead, Sauter made a point to chase Hill down, ram him, put him in the wall, ram him again, and push his truck a distance on the track, under the caution. In this case, Sauter is now the one who made a mistake, and now it is Sauter who must face repercussions. Every action has a consequence, and as unfair as he may think it is, the sanctioning body must act.

    For that matter, what he did was wrong and not thought out at all. He acted on impulse, which isn’t something that should be done in a race car. Chasing another driver down just to ram them and try to wreck their vehicle out of anger is an extremely careless action, and is a slap in the face to the team back at the shop, who already have to take care of otherwise unintentional damage. That’s added work that didn’t need to be in the first place, and isn’t it the driver’s job to take care of their equipment?

    Sauter is an extremely capable driver who knows how to achieve success behind the wheel. He’s a champion with an amazing record in the sport as is. But that said, he’s also a temperamental driver, and that’s a vulnerability. In that regard, a suspension could be the apt approach the sport could take. 

    It wasn’t a matter of Kenseth knocking the fire out of Logano, or Carl Edwards putting Brad Keselowski upside down at Atlanta in 2010. But it wasn’t Cole Custer/Austin Dillon at ISM Speedway in 2017, or Clint Bowyer/Ryan Newman at this year’s All-Star race at Charlotte. Sauter chased down Hill on the track during slowed racing conditions and tried to end Hill’s day. That’s something that the Kenseth/Logano precedent should cover with a suspension. 

    In a perfect world with a perfect approach, Sauter would have waited until the race was over to square up with Hill. Talk a little trash, shove a little bit, etc. Instead Sauter let his pride get the best of him and as a result shot himself and his ThorSport team in the proverbial foot; this is after Sauter snubbed Hill when the latter tried to approach him to discuss their contact from the previous week at Texas.

    Regardless, it’s isn’t an enviable position that NASCAR is in. Sauter is one of the biggest names in the truck series, and he brings in his share of the fans. A race without Sauter in the trucks isn’t where NASCAR wants to be, but if it drives home the valid point that issues shouldn’t be settled with a bumper. Hopefully they’ll all learn their lesson when all is said and done.

  • Four Takeaways-Gander Outdoors Truck Series- Kansas

    Four Takeaways-Gander Outdoors Truck Series- Kansas

    The Digital Ally 250 took place this past weekend at Kansas Speedway located in Kansas City, Kansas in a thrilling race that saw a fan favorite win, while others were left disappointed and wanting more.

    Here’s a look at this week’s four takeaways from the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Digital Ally 250.

    Niece Motorsports Gets First Team Win – Al Niece, the owner of Niece Motorsports, has been waiting for this moment since he started the team nearly four years ago in 2016 with driver Casey Smith. Smith ran two races for them with a best finish of 22nd that year at Iowa but did qualify at Martinsville.

    Since then, they have gone through drivers like Jeffrey Abbey, T.J. Bell, Justin Fontaine, Travis Pastrana, Victor Gonzalez Jr., Austin Wayne Self, Landon Huffman and Max McLaughlin. However, Ross Chastain caught their eye in 2018 and was picked up for three races. Despite a best finish of 12th at Bristol, they finished 26th and 16th at Homestead. Then a new year dawned with new goals and challenges. Chastain faced similar circumstances when he lost his Xfinity Series ride with Chip Ganassi Racing over sponsorship issues. In 2019, Chastain returned to Niece Motorsports with hopes of going to victory lane at some point in the season. The team almost did that at Daytona earning a third-place finish. During the time span before the Kansas victory, Chastain and the No. 45 team finished sixth at Atlanta, 10th at Las Vegas, fourth at Martinsville, seventh at Fort Worth, and 10th at Dover. The team could smell victory after top-10 finishes and having some of their best performances ever since Niece Motorsports started their truck team in 2016. In fact, Chastain felt they had the truck to win at Texas back in March but they fell short.

    Then came Kansas, where the team was looking to continue their top-10 streak. The No. 45 Niece Motorsports team qualified sixth and once again, ran up front in the stages. And then the opportunity arose when, with three to go, the race leader ran out of gas. Chastain held off a hard-charging Ben Rhodes for a popular win in the NASCAR community.

    Some say, it was Chastain’s biggest win yet and you could tell that it meant so much to him as he excitedly climbed out of his truck, jumping up and down with the crowd cheering him on. Most importantly, lost in all of this, was Al Niece’s first win as a team owner in the Truck Series. The team could be considered an underdog favorite. But Chastain and Niece don’t like the term and want to be considered along with everyone else, to have a shot at the win, week-in and week-out. With this victory, the team will become more of a threat to the field every week. While Chastain can’t compete for the Truck Series championship, the team can focus on the owners’ championship and at the end of the season, the team could very well accomplish just that. Keep an eye on Niece Motorsports, especially the No. 45 team, as they start to come into their own going into the summer months.

    Natalie Decker Has Forgettable Night Kansas – The No. 54 DGR-Crosley team was looking to turn their luck around coming into Kansas Speedway after having some miserable finishes to start the season. After granting a little girl her birthday wish on Friday, it might’ve been a good omen for Decker and the No. 54 team. However, their night and bad luck continued as Decker went sliding off Turn 4 into the grass, getting all four wheels off the ground and winding up 25th. Here’s hoping the team can turn their luck around this week at Charlotte.

    Austin Hill Quietly Shines In Top Five – Lost in the finishing order was likely Austin Hill and the No. 16 Hattori Racing team. Hill and company flew under the radar finishing fourth after starting seventh. He finished fifth and eighth in both stages and wound up earning his second top five of the 2019 season.

    Kyle Busch Motorsports Places Trucks In Top-10 – The Kyle Busch Motorsports team had a great night in the heartland placing all of their trucks in the top-10 running order. Todd Gilliland, who needed a decent finish coming into Kansas, started fifth and finished third. He finished seventh in both stages and was up front late in the race for a shot at the win. Ultimately, Gilliland was happy with the finish he needed. Brandon Jones continued the No. 51 fame finishing fifth, Riley Herbst finished ninth and Harrison Burton was 10th. All in all, the Kyle Busch Motorsports team had a strong night in Kansas.

  • NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series power rankings – Atlanta

    NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series power rankings – Atlanta

    The NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series headed north of Daytona this past weekend as they went to the typically sunny Atlanta Motor Speedway.

    But it wasn’t so sunny on Saturday for the Truck Series, as fog, mist and even rain interfered during the Ultimate Tailgaiting 200 by delaying the race with nine to go.

    However, as the race resumed, history was seen as Kyle Busch was back to his winning ways when he went to victory lane for career win No. 52 breaking Ron Hornaday’s former record for the most all-time Truck Series wins.

    But who topped this weeks power rankings?

    1. Grant Enfinger – After coming oh so close last weekend at Daytona, Enfinger finished third this weekend for the 20th top-five finish of his career. After qualifying was canceled, he lined up fifth. Enfinger carried his momentum throughout the race by finishing third in Stage 1 and eighth in Stage 2. A late restart was seen, but it wasn’t enough for Enfinger and the No. 98 Thorsport team as they wound up third.

    Previous Week Ranking- First

    2. Johnny Sauter – Sauter was looking to finally capture that Atlanta win this past weekend as he has no wins in his starts there. He lined up 12th when qualifying was rained out early Saturday morning, but it didn’t take him long to get to the front. Sauter finished fourth in both stages. He led twice for nine laps and had a shot to win late on a restart with five to go, but had to settle for a second place. Sauter might be a little disappointed with second, but it was much better than his Daytona outing. Sauter sits fourth, 18 points behind.

    Previous Week Ranking- Not Ranked

    3. Brett Moffitt – After being wrecked out last weekend, not of his doing, Moffitt rebounded for a solid but quiet fourth place finish even after an early pit road penalty early on. Moffitt didn’t contend much for the lead but came home fourth as he finished fifth in Stage 2. The No. 24 GMS team will look to put the past two weekends behind them and look forward to Las Vegas this weekend.

    Previous Week Ranking- Not Ranked

    4. Ross Chastain – Chastain and the small team of Niece Motorsports that could, followed up last week with another top-10 finish at Atlanta finishing sixth. He worked himself up to 10th in Stage 1 and seventh in Stage 2. Like others, Chastain had a shot to win late but his truck wasn’t enough and had to be content with a sixth-place.

    Previous Week Ranking- 3rd

    5. Austin Hill – The No. 16 Hattori Team was looking to carry their momentum over to Atlanta after winning at Daytona last week. The weekend got off to a rocky start, as the transmission and clutch broke in first practice, causing him to miss the entire practice. However, his day got somewhat better Saturday morning when heavy fog washed out qualifying and placed the team on the pole. While Hill finished fifth and sixth, respectively in both stages, he didn’t contend much for the win and settled for a seventh place finish after a quiet day.

    Previous Week Ranking- Fourth

    Fell Out

    1. Matt Crafton – Crafton was running just great until that last caution, where a loose wheel caused him to make an extra pit stop and preventing him from having a shot at the win. Crafton finished 14th and his winless streak is still intact. Previous Week Ranking – 2nd
    2. Spencer Boyd- Boyd was caught up in a wreck late with nine laps to go and was pretty much done for the day. After a strong finish at Daytona last week, Boyd wound up 25th. Previous Week Ranking – 5th
  • Now a winner, Austin Hill is thinking championship

    Now a winner, Austin Hill is thinking championship

    Austin Hill joined the Gander Outdoors Truck Series with the goal of just winning a race.

    Hill, 24, who won last week’s season-opening race at Daytona for his first career win, now knows how incredible it feels to stand triumphant in victory lane.

    Hill had just one previous top-five finish when he was hired by Hattori Racing Enterprises to drive its No. 16 Toyota this season, replacing defending series champion Brett Moffitt, who could not secure sponsorship to remain with HTE.

    “I had a lot of people throughout the off‑season and even when I got to the race track asking if a lot of weight was on my shoulders, you know, coming into a team that won the championship,” Hill said.

    “You know, I kind of embraced that. I felt like they went out and won the championship last year, so I felt like they should at least get a shot at it. Now we are.

    “To come here and get my first win at Daytona, it’s an amazing feeling. I don’t know if it’s really set in yet completely with me. I’m so, so excited going forward with these guys. I think that there’s a lot of good things ahead of us and on the horizon.”

    With a spot in the playoffs all but solidified, Hill has removed points racing from the equation. Now, it’s all about winning races and competing for a championship at Homestead.

    “The number one goal is to win the championship, so we’re locked in now. Kind of takes a weight off of your shoulders going into Atlanta,” Hill said. “We get to go have fun now.

    “We’re not chasing points. We’re not chasing anything but wins. That’s going to be really cool. It’s going to be a lot more relaxed, I think, going forward. It comes down to going to try to win some more races, get as much bonus points as we can.”

  • NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series Power Rankings-Daytona

    NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series Power Rankings-Daytona

    The NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series returned to action at the famous Daytona International Speedway this past Friday night for its 24th year in the running since their inception in 1995. As it did last season, the Truck Series did not disappoint and was, quite possibly, the most wildest truck race ever at Daytona.

    For the first time this season, here’s a look at this weeks power rankings.

    1. Grant Enfinger – A valiant effort set by Enfinger on Friday night, who came from two laps down and almost won the race. Enfinger was looking for his third career win, his second at a Superspeedway since 2016 at Talladega. He had a decent showing in the stages, as Enfinger finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Enfinger ultimately wound up second on the scoring pylon after finishing .278 seconds behind the race winner, Austin Hill. It was Enfinger’s 19th top five of his career.
    2. Matt Crafton – Crafton was oh so close to breaking his winless streak, but he’ll have to wait until Atlanta to earn it. It didn’t come without hard work though and dodging crazy accidents. He missed the first big wreck on Lap 55 and somehow, Crafton barely skidded by on another big wreck toward the end of the race. He had a shot at the win on the first overtime, but after a second overtime, it killed any momentum, as Crafton was shuffled back and got hung up on the outside and fell back to ultimately finish fifth for his second top five at Daytona.
    3. Ross Chastain – After finding himself out of a ride at Chip Ganassi Racing in the off-season this winter, it was Al Niece of Niece Motorsports to give him a shot at the wheel and an opportunity for the win. Chastain avoided the majority of the wrecks aside from spinning himself out to avoid an accident. He had a shot to win the race when he was pushing Enfinger, but due to an ill-handling truck, Chastain had to settle for a third-place finish. It was the sixth top-five finish of his career, Chastain’s first since 2013 at Phoenix for the defunct Brad Keselowski Racing.
    4. Austin Hill – Some fans may say that Hill is another Cinderella story, as Hill earned his first career Truck Series win Friday night. It didn’t come without avoiding the major accidents, however. Hill barely missed the big one on Lap 100 and it was the one that gave him a chance at the win, as he came out of it unscathed. After being close on fuel with two overtimes, Hill managed to fend off veteran race drivers for the win. He led 39 laps and finished second in Stage 1. He also came back from a couple of penalties as well. It’ll be interesting to see if Hattori Racing can defend their title in 2019.
    5. Spencer Boyd – Not a bad return for the former NASCAR Xfinity Series driver after not competing in the Truck Series for two years, especially not having any Daytona truck starts. Even though he did not finish in the top 10 in either stage, Boyd was there when it counted and maybe if he had a little bit more luck, he might have won. However, Boyd settled for a fourth place finish for his first top five of his career in the Truck Series.

    The Truck Series continues their 23-race schedule for the second race of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where NASCAR will play host to the Xfinity/Truck Series doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.

  • Hill’s Daytona win solidifies Hattori Racing as Toyota powerhouse

    Hill’s Daytona win solidifies Hattori Racing as Toyota powerhouse

    When 2018 Gander Outdoor Truck Series champion Brett Moffitt was released from Hattori Racing Enterprises following his title win only to be replaced by underdog Austin Hill for the 2019 season, there were questions, of course. Moffitt was a proven winner, Hill was not. Moffitt could contend on any race track, Hill only had a few strong runs. Moffitt was a champion, Hill wasn’t.

    Yet there was little doubt that the move to HRE could end up making a winner out of Hill, which is exactly what happened Friday night when he won the NextEra 250 at Daytona. Hill, who led the most laps (39), managed to stay out of trouble the most during the caution-filled event and nab the first Truck Series win of his career. Hill is the sixth driver to score his first truck series win at Daytona International Speedway.

    Regardless of Hill’s current employer, the fact that he won so soon out of the gate is still surprising. He came into the 2019 season with only a top-five and eight top-10s under his belt, with a career-best finish of fifth at Texas last fall. All of of which occurred over a span of 51 starts since 2014 while driving for a spate of owners, from Ricky Benton’s No. 92 team to his own family team’s No. 20 to Young’s Motorsports last season. In short, he hadn’t accomplished much during his time in the Truck Series. To be fair, though, his first full campaign in the series was 2018, where he managed to grab the bulk of his top-10 finishes.

    Meanwhile, by proving themselves an organization that can produce multiple winners, HRE has also shown themselves to be an adequate foil to the Toyota dominance of Kyle Busch Motorsports, an organization long thought to be the gold standard for Toyota in the Truck Series. However, while KBM fields multiple entries for both title pursuit and driver development, HRE has the luxury of a competitive single-car team to pursue victories and championships with.

    This is the way the sport should be. A team which started out as a solid mid-pack/occasional contender has grown enough and established itself enough that it is now a contender for wins and championships, and right now it holds seven wins with two drivers and a championship – all since the beginning of the 2018 season. They are setting a great pace for themselves in terms of success, and although Daytona is known to be a wild card – emphasis on “wild” – Shigeaki Hattori and Crew Chief Scott Zippadelli know now how to build a team around a driver. Ryan Truex was a consistent finisher with them, Moffitt was a champion with them, and now underdog-turned-winner Hill is bringing home the trophy from Daytona for them.

    It wasn’t too long before the 2018 season started that Moffitt was on a job hunt, with only a win at Michigan in 2016 to his credit. Imagine what Hill can accomplish this season with such an established team. If he can win at Daytona, then it isn’t a matter of if he can win again in the No. 16, but when.

    Here’s a hint: Soon.

  • Austin Hill Survives wild Daytona race/gets first career Truck Series win

    Austin Hill Survives wild Daytona race/gets first career Truck Series win

    The action never disappoints at Daytona International Speedway and never disappoints for the Truck Series either. After a record high 11 caution flags, two overtimes, the longest Truck Series race ever at Daytona and several big ones, Austin Hill comes out on top with his first career win in the series after 52 starts.

    “We got a little separation from us (Matt Crafton and Grant Enfinger) and my spotter Mike Herman Jr. did an awesome job, just telling me when and where the run was coming, what lines to chose,” Hill told MRN Radio. “The 98 (Enfinger) got to me in the center of 3 and 4, and kind of jacked me up pretty good. I didn’t think I was going to be able to hold on to that, but man, we were saving fuel there at the end, so coming off of (Turn) 4, I was pretty scared. I didn’t think we were going to make it to the finish. “

    Christian Eckes and David Gilliland sat on the front row as the race began with the stages set for 20/20/60 laps.

    The first few laps of Stage 1 set the mood for the night and it all started when Gilliland had a flat left front tire. After that, teammate Natalie Decker received damage as well from debris and cut a left front. She suffered more damage than Gilliland and the truck actually caught on fire. Decker was pulled out of the truck and was alert.

    ARCA race winner, Harrison Burton fell a lap down during the stage. Sheldon Creed, with his new GMS Racing team, took the win in Stage 1.

    Stage 2 began on Lap 26 and was a bit more tame but with a wild finish.

    At Lap 27, a three-truck incident took place in Turn 3, which involved Chris Fontaine, Ray Ciccarelli, and Tyler Dippel. Eckes also received some damage as well.

    With six to go in Stage 2, Brett Moffitt and Creed were black flagged for tandem drafting which is not allowed.

    Coming to the checkered, Todd Gilliland took the lead in Turn 3 and 4, but Johnny Sauter made a move on the outside and Gilliland got shuffled back, while Sauter and Stewart Friesen battled side-by-side at the finish line. But it was Sauter who came out on top with the Stage 2 victory.

    During the caution, Hill had to go to the rear as he was caught speeding. The 24 of Moffitt was also busted for a crew member being over the wall too soon.

    With 54 to go, the field went back to green for the final stage of the race and quite possibly, the wildest stage in Truck Series history.

    The first incident came with 46 to go when Jordan Anderson got turned from the back and set off a multi-vehicle accident. Sauter, Gus Dean, Myatt Snider, Grant Enfinger, Moffitt, Eckes, Austin Wayne Self, Creed, Brennan Poole, Friesen, and Todd Gilliland were all involved.

    Burton and David Gilliland were hit with a one lap penalty for passing the pace truck while coming down for stops.

    One lap after the restart, Christian Eckes machine caught on fire and brought out another caution.

    After the restart with 31 to go, Sauter’s race was over as he came down to the garage area for a motormount problem.

    Rookie Cory Roper went spinning off of Turn 4 and hit the inside wall. Roper’s night was done. Another issue came about when Todd Gilliland came in to the pits under caution as he thought he had rear end issues.

    Five laps after the restart with 17 to go, a wreck on the backstretch occurred when Burton got clipped to the outside and came back down collecting Todd Gilliland and Gus Dean.

    For Angela Ruch, a possible upset of the night, things got a little tougher for the Joe Nemecheck driver, as she had engine issues.

    On the restart with seven to go, another caution came out as Timothy Peters and Clay Greenfield made contact with each other.

    With this incident, it set up a three lap finish to the checkered. Well, sort of. Another big wreck broke out as Dean moved up in front of Creed and collected many others. The 52, 2, 99, 12, 88, 87, 16, 17, 45, and 68 were all involved. This would set up NASCAR overtime, meaning once the leader takes the white flag, the next one ends it.

    You know the term, cautions breed cautions and that came into effect tonight, as Bobby Gerheart, Self, and Friesen wrecked.

    Another overtime was set up, but this time they were able to finish the race. Hill threw a big block on Enfinger on the final lap and it was all Hill needed, as he went on to score his first ever Truck Series career win.

    “I had a big run on the 99 (Ben Rhodes), went to get under him and he came to block, when he did we touched and we both got it back together, but we lost our momentum, the outside lane got a big run and I turned while it clipped the 99,” Hill told MRN Radio in victory lane.

    “Luckily, I don’t know how, but we made it through. That was really the key moment for us. Getting that lead and just being able to protect it. That whole last lap, my heart was pounding and I thought they were going to get to my outside, and it was going to be a drag race. The fuel situation was really big. I was just glad to make it to the start finish line.”

    There was a record high of 11 caution flags for 55 laps and 15 lead changes.

    Austin Hill became the sixth driver to get his first win at Daytona.

  • Austin Hill survives carnage to win season-opener at Daytona

    Austin Hill survives carnage to win season-opener at Daytona

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The defending NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series championship team returned and won their third consecutive race, but this time they had a new man behind the wheel of their hot rod.

    Austin Hill took over the No. 16 Toyota from reigning series champion Brett Moffitt, who was unable to secure sponsorship to remain in the seat, and held off Grant Enfinger in Friday night’s season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

    On the restart of the second overtime, Hill got ahead of the field and threw a huge block to prevent Matt Crafton from getting to the point. Throughout the race, Hill would get out to sizeable leads but somehow managed to keep the pack behind him. It was the same story in the end as he held off Enfinger to win his first Truck race in his 52nd career start.

    “Man, this truck was fast, it really was. I knew we had a truck that could compete,” Hill said in Victory Lane. “I got a little scared there at the end. I thought (Enfinger) was going to get me, he had a big run.

    “I can’t believe my first win came at Daytona. It’s so surreal. I can’t wait to party with these guys.”

    Hill was constantly reminded by his crew to save fuel, but he was still nervous that he might run out.

    “We pitted really early, and we already knew it was going to be close and then when we went overtime, I was so scared,” he said. “I just knew I was going to run out off (Turn) 4 and not make it to the line.

    “So much stuff was going through my head, but – hey – we’re in Victory Lane.”

    Ross Chastain finished third, Spencer Boyd was fourth, and Crafton slipped to fifth.

    The first big wreck occurred on Lap 53 of the scheduled 100 lap race when Jordan Anderson got tapped by Sheldon Creed, which collected nearly a dozen trucks. Among those who were taken out of contention included Moffitt, Johnny Sauter, Brennan Poole, Myatt Snider, and Christian Eckes.

    Eckes’ truck erupted in flames on Lap 63 coming down the frontstretch to bring out the caution. He was uninjured.

    The race resumed on Lap 70, with Hill leading the pack.

    On Lap 77, Cory Roper, who was making just his seventh Trucks start, got out of the groove and made contact with Ben Rhodes, causing him to spin and slam the inside wall to bring out another caution. Rhodes ended up taking the lead.

    With 13 laps to go, Rhodes remained in front of the field followed by Stewart Friesen and Gus Dean.

    The caution came out again on Lap 89 when Todd Gilliland got into his Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate Harrison Burton on the backstretch, sending them both wrecking into the wall off Turn 2.

    The race returned to green with seven laps left, but Clay Greenfield and Timothy Peters wrecked on the restart lap.

    The race restarted with three laps to go with Rhodes at the point, followed by Hill, and Dean. However, Creed got into Dean, which triggered another massive wreck to send the race into the first overtime. Rhodes did not make it out unscathed, ending his evening.

    Sauter held off Friesen to win Stage 2, and Creed won Stage 1 with Hill behind him in second.

    Angela Ruch, the niece of 1990 Daytona 500 champion Derrike Cope finished in eighth, the best finish of her career in any major series.

    Billy Rock, a crewmember for the FDNY Racing team and driver Bryan Dauzat, was injured earlier in the race in a pit-road incident.

    Rock, the team’s jackman, was struck by Dauzat’s No. 28 Chevrolet, which had lost its brakes. Rock was transported to Halifax Health Medical Center for further evaluation, and NASCAR officials said he was “awake and alert.” The nature of any injuries to Rock, however, were not disclosed.

  • Austin Hill Ecstatic About NASCAR NEXT Induction; Looking to Improve Media Appearance

    Austin Hill Ecstatic About NASCAR NEXT Induction; Looking to Improve Media Appearance

    Austin Hill was inducted into the 2014-2015 NASCAR NEXT class at Richmond International Raceway due to scoring a victory at Dover International Raceway last season and having three top-five finishes in the K&N Pro Series East this season.

    “Running on a low budget team like ours, without sponsorship, I feel very privileged to be in this NASCAR NEXT class,” Hill explained to Speedway Media at Richmond on Saturday prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. “I’m expecting the program to help me with my media training, like talking to the public, but (ultimately), I think it’ll help me get to know these (Sprint) Cup and Nationwide drivers (which) will help me get my name out there so I can (be racing) with them one day.”

    The NASCAR NEXT members introduced themselves and developed first impressions before Richmond, and thankfully, they all have quite civil and great friendships already or currently being established.

    “I know a lot of the (NASCAR NEXT) members already,” Hill expressed about building relationships with the other NASCAR NEXT inductees. “We all are good friends and I (hope) to become friends with the new faces, so it’s pretty cool to (relate) with everyone.”

    Hill, 20, scored his first K&N East victory at Dover International Speedway last season after holding off and passing C.J. Faison. Little did he know that trip to victory lane would open a multitude of fresh opportunities.

    “We had a really good car there,” Hill noted about his trip to victory lane in Dover, Delaware in the K&N East Series last season. “The first time (at that track) is really scary, you just don’t know what to expect with the car when it’s (diving) off into the corner that fast. With the K&N cars (there), you’re pretty much holding it wide-open, especially the first two laps on a restart.”

    Hill’s also taking a different approach than other NASCAR NEXT inductees. He’s looking to create a better media appearance, find sponsorship and reach the NASCAR Touring Series, and that choice or goal could pay dividends in the future. In addition to the media ordeal, he’s hoping to capture more victories and possibly, the K&N East championship this season.

    “I would definitely like to accomplish (another) win,” Hill said about the goals he’s set while running in the NASCAR NEXT program. “I’ve been struggling on getting my first win (this season), we’ve had three top-fives, and the other two (starts) I wrecked out and had a blown tire, but, getting wins and working on my media training is the (main) goal.”

    Hill, piloting from Winston, Georgia, was recently engaged to Ashlyn Sellers, and he’s looking to use her support to advance his techniques which will help propel him to the ultimate goal: racing in the Sprint Cup Series.