Austin Hill earned one of the most emotional wins of his NASCAR O’Reilly Series career in San Diego. In the closing laps, Hill moved Taylor Gray out of the way, earning his first career victory on a road course. It was also Richard Childress Racing’s first win since the death of Kyle Busch in May.
Following the event, Hill spoke about his NASCAR win in San Diego. It was an emotional interview, as the driver of the No. 21 car talked about Busch.
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“It’s extremely special, just to finally check that box of getting that road course win, we’ve been so close so many times,” Hill said. “I’m not gonna lie, I started talking to [Kyle Busch] a little bit down the straightaways,” Hill explained while pointing his hat, which displayed the number eight — the digit Busch carried for the team. “I was like ‘man, Kyle, if you’re here, give me something, let me find another gear.'”
Hill replaced Busch in the rebranded No. 33 car for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series and has run well over the last few weeks. Hill’s victory in San Diego is one of the most memorable of his NASCAR career, and he hopes it will turn into more momentum moving forward.
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This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Austin Hill discusses emotional NASCAR win at San Diego in 2026
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