Austin Hill is officially leaving the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and moving up another level. He will join Richard Childress Racing during the 2022 Xfinity Series season and become teammates with Sheldon Creed.
RCR announced the news on Friday, October 29. The championship-winning organization tweeted out a welcome photo and then issued a press release with quotes from the Truck Series driver. RCR did not provide any details about Hill’s vehicle number or sponsors, saying that there will be more updates in the future.
Welcome to Welcome @_AustinHill!
Hill leaves Hattori Racing Enterprises with eight total wins in the Truck Series. He first won four races and posted seven total top-five finishes while making a name as a championship contender during the 2019 season. However, Hill ended the year fifth overall after missing out on the championship four.
Hill won two more races in 2020 and reached the playoffs for the second consecutive season before ending his year in the Round of Eight. Hill then continued this streak in 2021, winning at Knoxville and Watkins Glen to cap off the regular-season schedule. He was unable to make it to the Round of Eight due to struggles in two of the first three playoff races.
“Austin Hill has established himself as a very competitive racer within the NASCAR Truck Series and we know that he is ready for a fulltime opportunity in the NASCAR Xfinity Series,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of RCR, in a press release. “Austin is a talented young driver and I feel confident that he will help contribute to wins at RCR.”
Hill Previously Revealed His Desire To Move to the Xfinity Series
NEWS: Austin Hill will leave Hattori Racing at the end of the 2021 season.
Hill leaving Hattori Racing Enterprises and the Camping World Truck Series isn’t new information. He previously revealed his intention to pursue a full-time schedule in the Xfinity Series prior to the October 2 playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Hill spoke to FOX Sports reporter Jamie Little and explained that he didn’t yet have an official seat for the 2022 season. He was working on plans at the time and hoped to make an announcement within weeks. Nearly four weeks later, Hill provided the update.
“To say it’s an honor to drive for Richard Childress Racing is an understatement,” Hill added in the press release. “I’ve been working hard for an opportunity like this since I was a young kid. I really admire RCR’s NASCAR Xfinity Series program, and I am looking forward to having the chance to add my name to the impressive list of drivers who have won under the RCR banner.”
RCR’s Xfinity Roster Began to Take Shape in September
RCR only fielded one vehicle during the 2021 Xfinity Series season with Myatt Snider as the driver. However, the team revealed that the 2022 season will be different with the announcement on September 14 that Sheldon Creed will move from the Truck Series and join RCR.
The press release did not reveal Creed’s number or sponsors for his full-time Xfinity Series debut, but RCR later provided this information during a trip to Charlotte Motor Speedway. The team held a press conference on October 9 and unveiled the No. 2 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro, which Creed will use to pursue wins.
With Creed taking over the No. 2, there were immediate questions about Snider’s future. RCR provided a partial answer by confirming that he will remain part of the RCR/GM driver development program. Childress also told FOX Sports reporter Bob Pockrass that the team is trying to get Snider a seat with one of their affiliates.
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Austin Hill Officially Moves to Xfinity, Reveals Team