Austin Hill suspended by NASCAR for intentional crash at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

NASCAR has suspended Austin Hill for one Xfinity Series race following his intentional wreck of Aric Almirola during Saturday’s event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The incident occurred while both drivers were running in the top five.

After Almirola made contact that pushed Hill up the track, Hill appeared to retaliate by hooking Almirola in the right rear, sending him into the outside wall. Hill was penalized five laps during the race and finished 34th, while Almirola ended up 35th.



The suspension comes with major consequences. Hill loses all 21 playoff points he had accumulated this season-previously third-most behind Connor Zilisch (29) and Justin Allgaier (22) - and is now barred from earning additional playoff points unless he is granted a waiver. This rule stems from a policy introduced prior to the 2025 season.

Richard Childress Racing has named Cup Series driver Austin Dillon as Hill’s replacement for this weekend’s Xfinity race at Iowa. Hill, currently seventh in the Xfinity standings with three wins, now risks falling further in the rankings.

Only the top 12 drivers qualify for the Xfinity playoffs, making Hill’s path to championship contention much more difficult.

Although Hill claimed the incident was unintentional, his fiery, expletive-laced reaction to the penalty likely didn’t help his case. The suspension significantly alters the playoff picture and puts Hill in a must-perform situation for the remainder of the regular season.