The frustration surrounding Austin Hill’s ongoing battles with Shane van Gisbergen boiled over in an unexpected place at Kansas Speedway: Hill’s own radio.
Hill and longtime spotter Derek Kneeland had a tense exchange during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race after Kneeland urged the Richard Childress Racing driver to settle down and warned that the repeated run-ins involving Hill and van Gisbergen could not continue.
Hill wanted no part of the message.
“I don’t want to hear it,” Hill responded. “Honestly, I really don’t want to [expletive] hear it.”
Kneeland initially let it go with a simple “10-4.”
But he wasn’t finished.
Later, while speaking to someone else over the radio, Kneeland delivered an even more candid assessment of the situation. He made clear that while he has Hill’s back every week, something has to change before the ongoing tension costs the No. 33 team even more.
Derek Kneeland Warns Austin Hill: ‘We Cannot Keep Doing This’
The initial exchange began when Kneeland tried to settle Hill down during the race.
“Settle down. All good here,” Kneeland said.
“What do you mean, settle down?” Hill responded.
Kneeland then explained exactly what he meant.
“Can’t keep racing each other like this every week,” Kneeland said. “We’re gonna destroy cars and no finishes. Whether he’s been the [expletive] or we are, we’ve got to be able to finish.
“We’re decent. I know this run’s went to [expletive], but we’ve got to get it back together here. Just keep it together.”
Hill immediately pushed back.
“I don’t want to hear it,” he said. “Honestly, I really don’t want to [expletive] hear it.”
“10-4,” Kneeland responded.
It was a striking exchange between a driver and spotter who have worked closely together, but what came later was even more revealing.
After Kneeland successfully guided Hill through a wreck elsewhere on the track, the spotter could be heard speaking to another person over the radio. It was not clear from the audio who was on the other end of the conversation.
“A piece of [expletive], but at least he listened to that,” Kneeland said.
Kneeland then returned to the same concern he had raised directly with Hill.
“I mean, I got his back every [expletive] week, but we cannot keep doing this every week,” Kneeland said. “We’re gonna wreck race cars and no finishes. Like, I’m not a fan of the 97 either, but we cannot keep doing it.”
The No. 97 belongs to van Gisbergen.
Importantly, it was not completely clear from the radio audio what Kneeland’s “piece of [expletive]” remark specifically referred to. But there was no ambiguity about the larger point he was making: regardless of how Kneeland personally feels about van Gisbergen, he believes the repeated clashes need to stop.
Hill-SVG Rivalry Reaches a Breaking Point on No. 33 Radio
The radio exchange offered an unusually candid glimpse inside Hill’s team as his rivalry with van Gisbergen continues to simmer.
Kneeland wasn’t simply blaming Hill, either.
His initial message specifically acknowledged that responsibility for the repeated issues could fall on either side, saying, “Whether he’s been the [expletive] or we are,” before emphasizing the need to start finishing races instead of risking damaged cars.
His later comments reinforced the point.
Kneeland openly acknowledged that he is “not a fan of the 97 either” and stressed that he supports Hill every week. But supporting his driver did not stop him from saying what he believed Hill needed to hear.
That may be what made the exchange so notable.
Spotters are a driver’s eyes from above and often one of the most trusted voices on the radio. Kneeland has been firmly in Hill’s corner, yet even he sounded exasperated by a rivalry that he believes is putting finishes and race cars at risk.
Hill clearly wasn’t interested in hearing that message in the heat of the moment.
Kneeland delivered it anyway.
Austin Hill’s Spotter Unloads on Him After Heated Radio Exchange