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Beard Motorsports has named a new driver for the 2023 Cup Series season. The team will turn to Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill for its schedule featuring superspeedways and two new additions.
The team announced the news on October 28. It revealed that Hill will take over the No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro for six races in 2023, starting with the Daytona 500 in February. Hill will then take on Talladega Superspeedway on April 23, the Chicago Street Course on July 2, Michigan International Speedway on August 6, Daytona on August 26, and Talladega on October 1.
“From the moment I started in quarter midgets back home in Georgia, racing in the NASCAR Cup Series has always been my goal,” Hill said. “I’m incredibly grateful to Richard Childress for giving me the platform to race and win in my first season in the Xfinity Series, and for the opportunity the Beard family has provided me to run more races in Cup.”
Beard Motorsports usually focuses on four races — the events at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. The addition of Michigan provided the team with an opportunity to compete a mere two hours away from the home of Beard Oil Distributing. The Chicago street race provided the opportunity to take part in a historic event.
Hill Replaces a Fellow Xfinity Series Championship Contender
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GettyAustin Hill will replace Noah Gragson in the No. 62.
The No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro has featured two drivers during the 2022 season. Noah Gragson was the first as he competed in the Daytona 500, the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, and the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Gragson had the YellaWood 500 at Talladega on his schedule, but the situation changed. Alex Bowman suffered a concussion during the playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway, so Gragson moved over to the No. 48 while serving as the official replacement driver for Hendrick Motorsports.
Gragson’s JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier ultimately replaced him in the No. 62 Chevrolet for the return to Talladega Superspeedway. Now Hill will take over as the driver of the No. 62 for the scheduled races in 2023 as Gragson moves to the Cup Series full-time with Petty GMS.
Hill Has 1 Cup Series Start in His Career
GettyAustin Hill made his Cup Series debut at Michigan International Speedway.
A former Truck Series championship contender, Hill kicked off his full-time Xfinity Series career in 2022. He joined Richard Childress Racing and took over the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro.
Hill has since put himself in contention for a spot in the championship four by winning two races and posting top-10 finishes in 61.3% of his starts. Now he has one more opportunity at Martinsville Speedway that he can use to potentially reach the championship four.
Along with his full-time schedule in the No. 21 Chevrolet, Hill also made his Cup Series debut. He drove the No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing at Michigan International Speedway, and he finished 18th overall in his debut race.
“Austin has really seized the opportunities that he’s had in his young career,” said Mark Beard Jr., executive vice president of Beard Motorsports. “He’s won in Trucks and here he is winning in his first year in the Xfinity Series. It’s all very impressive. He brings a lot of talent and just a really strong desire to compete, and that’s a great combination for us to have at Beard Motorsports.”
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