18-yo NASCAR prodigy Austin Hill set to race three times in the 2025 Xfinity Series

18-year-old road racer Austin Hill is set to compete in three NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 2025 with Joey Gase Motorsports. Hill, who has built a strong reputation in road racing, will attempt to qualify for events at Watkins Glen International, Portland International Raceway, and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval later this year.

Hill’s venture into NASCAR’s Xfinity Series will begin at Watkins Glen International on August 9. He will then compete at Portland International Raceway on August 30, followed by an appearance at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval on October 4. This marks his first attempt in NASCAR’s second-tier series.

The Frankfort, Ohio native is not to be confused with Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill, a current Xfinity Series driver. If he qualifies for the event at Watkins Glen, it will be only the second time two drivers with the same name have competed in the same NASCAR National Series race. In January, Hill announced his partnership with Joey Gase Motorsports via social media, confirming that he would be competing in select road course events. He posted the update on X and captioned the tweet,

📣 - Breaking News - 📣Excited to announce that I will join Joe Gase Motorsports for a @NASCAR Xfinity road race...Details coming soon! Beyond ready to show what I can do! #AustinHill / #AustinHillMotorsports / #NASCAR / #Xfinity

In 2024, Austin Hill was named vice-champion of the SCCA Hoosier Super Tour LTL, taking three wins, 11 podium finishes, and 13 top-five results. He also won two pole positions and recorded the fastest lap in multiple races. He is also a three-time champion of the Atlanta Championship Series, having won titles in 2021, 2022, and 2023. At 14, he became the youngest driver to podium at the SCCA National Runoffs and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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Two Drivers named Austin Hill to Compete in NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2025

A unique situation is set to unfold in the NASCAR Xfinity Series later this year, as two drivers with the same name—Austin Hill—will be competing in the same circuit. While one of them is a well-established competitor with Richard Childress Racing, the other is a 17-year-old making his debut with Joey Gase Motorsports.

Austin Hill, the seasoned driver, has been a dominant force in the Xfinity Series in recent years. Fresh off a victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he now boasts 11 career wins and remains a key contender on the track. Meanwhile, the younger Austin Hill has gained experience in the Trans-Am Series and will take on a limited schedule, driving in three races—Watkins Glen, Portland, and the Charlotte ROVAL—starting in August.

The unusual name overlap has sparked curiosity about how NASCAR and broadcasters will differentiate the two. With a few months left before the younger Hill’s debut, there is time to find a way to avoid confusion. Whether it involves a middle name or referring to car numbers, a solution will likely be necessary to have clarity on race days.