Austin Hill reveals major outcome of mandatory Xfinity meeting as NASCAR issues clear warning

Modified Apr 05, 2025 14:32 GMT

NASCAR Xfinity: NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at Martinsville - Source: Imagn — Austin Hill (21) celebrates his win during the Marine Corp 250 at Martinsville Speedway, March 29th 2025 - Source: Imagn

Race winner of last weekend's Xfinity Series event, the US Marine Corps 250, Austin Hill has revealed NASCAR's decision based on the incidents that occurred in the race. In the final lap of the race, driver Sammy Smith went into the back of the #54 car of Taylor Gray, causing a spin that affected the entirety of the grid, but also allowed Hill to sneak up and score victory at the event.

Now, the driver has divulged that the association would choose not to make any penalty decisions based on what happens during the race, but might do so if the events that occured at Martinsville this past weekend happen again.

NASCAR journalist Toby Christie has taken to his X (formerly Twitter) account to relay the Richard Childress Racing driver's comments, where he also said that NASCAR would still look forward to close quarters racing, if done respectfully.

"Austin Hill says #NASCAR would prefer to not make calls based on moves on-track, but will if what happened last week at Martinsville continues to happen. Hill says NASCAR and the drivers want to continue to race close, and beat and bang, but there has to be respect."

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Before the JR Motorsports driver went into the back of the #54 car, the race had already seen 14 caution periods in a 104-lap period. Sammy Smith ended up finishing the race in tenth place, while Taylor Gray crossed the line to take 29th.

Austin Hill's victory came after the driver was able to avoid the melee between Smith and the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, climbing from his starting position of third place to take the win after leading the final lap. Following him, Sheldon Creed and Justin Allgaier (who was hit by Gray during his spin) closed out the Top-three spots.

Austin Hill discusses how the racing will go down at Darlington Raceway this weekend

After the exciting events of last weekend's race at the Martinsville Speedway, the #21 driver commented on how he believes everyone will be racing at today's Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 at the Darlington Raceway. Speaking at a press conference, Austin Hill revealed that he has spoken with the drivers who were affected by the incidents at the US Marine Corps 250, and he believes that while everyone will be aggressive, there will be respectful racing taking place.

"I think it's going to calm down a lot more than you think today. We'll have to wait and see but I think today is going to be a very - we're all still going to be agressive and try to win the race - but it's going to be a very respectful race."

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Today's Xfinity Series race will start at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the CW, with radio coverage by MRN and SiriusXM.

About the author

Siddharth Koyal is an F1 and NASCAR journalist at Sportskeeda with a background in Cinema & Media Studies. His academic journey, centered on crafting analytical essays and in-depth critiques, honed his writing skills and solidified his love for storytelling. Combining his expertise in writing with a lifelong passion for Formula 1, Siddharth brings insightful and engaging content to readers, blending analytical precision with a fan’s enthusiasm.

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Edited by Neelabhra Roy