Richard Childress Adds Xfinity Star to Cup Schedule Alongside Grandson’s Former Crew Chief

Richard Childress Racing has announced that NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, Austin Hill, will have a part-time role in the Cup Series, driving the #33 RCR Chevrolet Camaro. The 29-year-old driver will mark his return to the Cup Series with his first race at Texas Motor Speedway. Hill’s #33 car will be sponsored by United Rentals for the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 race with Keith Rodden as his crew chief.

Keith Rodden initially started the season as the chief crew for Austin Dillon’s #3 team. However, after consistent dip in the performance and strategy plays, Rodden was replaced by Justin Alexander. RCR did announce that Rodden will take up a leadership role in the organization and as per the recent revelation he is back to his duties as crew chief for Hill’s #33 ride.

Austin Hill is looking forward to competing in the Cup Series with RCR

In total, the Winston native has started in six Cup Series races. He did make a single start with RCR back in 2022 at Michigan International Speedway, while the rest of the starts came driving the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevy last season. His best finish in the Cup Series was a 14th-place finish at the Daytona International Speedway in 2023. After a solid start to his season in the Xfinity Series, Hill will now look to make the most of his opportunity to deliver better results in the premier stock car racing series.

“I’m happy to have another opportunity to race in the Cup Series for RCR. The amount of success that we’ve been able to accomplish together in the Xfinity Series makes me excited for this slate of races. It’s not going to be easy, competing against the best drivers on Sundays, but I’m thankful to Richard, everyone at RCR, and United Rentals for allowing this Cup Series schedule to come to life. Racing a Next Gen Chevrolet at a mile-and-a-half will be a new challenge, but one that I’m looking forward to,” Hill said in a press release via RCR.

Moreover, his long-time sponsor, United Rentals, also expressed their excitement about supporting Hill in his Cup Series adventure. “We are excited to support Richard Childress Racing and Austin Hill in the NASCAR Cup Series. We have a great partnership with Austin and RCR and look forward to supporting them and giving our customers an unforgettable experience,” said Craig Smith, VP of national accounts, United Rentals.

Given the start Austin Hill has had to his Xfinity Series season, he could deliver a surprising result for a team that has struggled to register a win so far this season.

Austin Hill is among the favorites to win the Xfinity Series championship this season

Richard Childress Racing has found a real gem of a race car driver, signing Austin Hill back in 2022. With the passing of each season, the driver of the #21 car seems to make huge strides towards the ultimate goal of winning championships. Last season ended on a disappointing note for Hill, failing to clinch the title after all the hard work. However, the 2024 season looks promising for him, given the solid start he has had to his campaign.

Right off the bat, he started with two consecutive wins at the speedways at Daytona and Atlanta. He then followed it up with two top-five finishes at Las Vegas and Phoenix. Moreover, had he not been involved in a late tussle with Shane van Gisbergen at COTA, he could be sitting pretty with three wins. For all his troubles, he had to settle for a runner-up finish. After six races, he finds himself second in the driver’s standings, just 10 points adrift of the leader, Chandler Smith.

A strong start to the season has been a recurring theme for Hill in the RCR colors. However, it will be interesting to see how he manages the pressure of running for the championship late in the season.

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