Austin Hill, who has competed full time for Richard Childress Racing in NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series since 2022, will move to the Cup Series full time in 2027.
Hill has been doing double duty this year in NASCAR’s top two national series since Kyle Busch’s unexpected death in May. RCR immediately removed Busch’s No. 8 from his Chevrolet and replaced it with the No. 33, which Hill had used in selected Cup races. Hill’s move to the Cup Series and Jesse Love’s departure to the Wood Brothers next year mean both RCR O’Reilly Series cars are vacant for 2027. However, the organization’s new drivers for that series are expected to be announced soon.
Since joining RCR in 2022, Hill has qualified for the post-season every year in the O’Reilly Series. The Georgia driver won the 2023 regular season title and earned a Championship 4 berth in 2024. Hill has won 16 races, excelling in the superspeedway events. His 11 victories on drafting-style tracks have surpassed the previous record of eight held by NASCAR Hall of Fame members Dale Earnhardt and Tony Stewart.
“Every race car driver dreams of competing full time in the NASCAR Cup Series, and to have that opportunity with RCR is something I don’t take for granted,” Hill said in a prepared statement. “I’ve learned so much this year about what it takes to compete at this level.”
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RCR Chairman and CEO Richard Childress described Hill as a “talented race car driver.”
“His continued growth, work ethic and success across multiple levels of NASCAR competition have positioned him for his next step with RCR,” Childress said in a prepared statement. “He’s put a tremendous amount of effort into his career, especially this year with everything he’s taken on. We’ve watched Austin grow as a driver and as a person.”
A North Carolina native, Deb Williams is an award-winning motorsports journalist who is in her fourth decade covering auto racing. In addition to covering the sport for United Press International, she has written motorsports articles for several newspapers, magazines and websites including espnW.com, USA Today, and The Charlotte Observer. Her awards include the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence, two-time National Motorsports Press Association writer of the year, and two-time recipient of the Russ Catlin award. She also has won an award in the North Carolina Press Association’s sports feature category. During her career, Deb has been managing editor of GT Motorsports magazine and was with Winston Cup Scene and NASCAR Winston Cup Scene for 18 years, serving as the publication’s editor for 10 years. In 2024 she was inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame.