Getty Austin Hill poses next to the Beard Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.
The No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro is going to have a brand-new look for the NASCAR weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Beard Motorsports has joined forces with a new partner.
According to a press release, Realtree will take over the No. 62 as Austin Hill and Beard Motorsports attempt to qualify for the Geico 500 on April 23. The Chevrolet Camaro will have a special scheme highlighting Turkeys for Tomorrow, a 501(c)3 non-profit group dedicated to wild turkey conservation.
@BeardOil62 and Austin Hill will have a new primary partner for Talladega Superspeedway — Realtree. The scheme will carry a logo raising awareness for the wild turkey conservation group.
#NASCAR
“The Talladega race weekend comes at a great time of year for both Realtree and Turkeys for Tomorrow since turkey season will be well underway in many parts of the country. And the racing doesn’t get much better than Talladega,” said Tyler Jordan, strategic business coordinator at Realtree.
“Austin Hill is a Georgia boy and avid outdoorsman. He is the perfect driver to represent TFT in front of millions of people during this race, and to help create awareness for all that TFT does for the wild turkey.”
Hill Will Pursue His First Cup Series Start of 2023
GettyAustin Hill attempted to qualify for the Daytona 500.
The trip to Talladega Superspeedway provides Hill and Beard Motorsports with another opportunity. They can attempt to qualify for their first Cup Series race together after missing out on the Daytona 500.
Hill was in a position to secure his spot in The Great American Race. He just needed to finish ahead of other open entries during the Bluegreen Vacations Duels. However, an incident disrupted this event.
So close. @_AustinHill gave it his all out there, but ultimately we got collected in a multi-car accident with 28 laps to go. The damage sustained was too much for the No. 62 @BennettFamilyCo Chevy to continue. #NASCAR
A push from Daniel Suarez turned Kyle Busch into the wall with 28 laps remaining in the second duel, which sparked a multi-car incident. Hill was collected along with Riley Herbst and Travis Pastrana. This knocked him out of contention and opened up the opportunity for Conor Daly to qualify for the Daytona 500.
“Daytona didn’t go like we had hoped on the Cup side, but a positive of the week was getting to know the Beard family better,” Hill said in a statement. “We are going to give it our best shot in Talladega, and I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of a Cup car.”
Hill Has Multiple Other Events on His Cup Series Schedule
GettyBrendan Gaughan (front) races at the Daytona Road Course.
The Geico 500 is the next event on Hill’s part-time Cup Series schedule. It is not the last. There are multiple others where Beard Motorsports will field the No. 62 Chevrolet Camaro.
In addition to events at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, Beard Motorsports will attempt to qualify for events at Michigan International Speedway and the Charlotte Roval.
The event at Michigan will mark a first for Beard Motorsports while the trip to the Roval will be the second road course event for the team. The first was the Daytona Road Course race in 2020 when Brendan Gaughan finished 39th after a mechanical issue.
“Honoring my dad’s legacy and his passion for the sport of auto racing is the driving force behind Beard Motorsports,” said Amie Beard, executive vice president of Beard Motorsports in a February 2 press release.
“I’ve said it before but he was very much a ‘Go big or go home’ kind of person. I know he would be so proud to see how we have carried on the tradition that he started and increasing our presence in the NASCAR garage with the races in Michigan this summer and at the Charlotte road course this fall.”