Sunday’s NASCAR race at Talladega saw driver Austin Hill get into it with the fans a little bit. Specifically, he flipped the bird to some fans while driving to Victory Lane.
A debate ensued over whether NASCAR would – or should – discipline Hill. Ultimately, the league decided that punishment was not warranted.
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“No NASCAR penalty report this week. Austin Hill not fined for flipping off the fans who were shooting him the middle finger after his Talladega win,” NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck wrote on Wednesday.
But does NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Jr. agree with NASCAR that the actions deserved no punishment?
It turns out he does.
Jul 12, 2025; Sonoma, California, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Austin Hill (21) waves after being introduced to fans before the start of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at Sonoma Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images© Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
Dale Jr. Reacts
On the latest episode of his Dale Jr. Download podcast (which came out prior to the announcement), Dale Jr. asserted that Hill was “just giving it back” to fans who were being inappropriate. He took it a step further, declaring that NASCAR should probably “embrace this” and let drivers act like villains if they want to.
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“Now, let’s be clear, Austin Hill did not drive – this is Austin Hill driving by the grandstands, driver’s side toward the grandstand, he did not drive down the front straightaway with his middle finger in the air the whole way,” Dale Jr. said. “He’s flipping a guy off, and he’s looking directly at the camera, and he’s responding to some fans who are probably two or three dudes in the grandstands that are probably sitting there double-birding him, and he’s just giving it back. And I agree.
“We need to embrace this to an extent. We call it out for what it is. They love to hate him, you know? And so, I’m good with it. I agree with this post here about letting it slide because it does add some color. You know, there’s not a lot of people out there willing to be the villain, to be the bad guy, to be the guy that’s, you know, not a lot of guys willing to do that.”
Do you agree with Dale Jr?
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This story was originally reported by The Spun on Oct 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the NASCAR section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.