RCR ace makes a startling admission about his ‘fault’ after painful Phoenix blunder: “One of the dumbest things that's ever happened to me”

RCR driver Austin Hill had a tough night at Phoenix Raceway, making a mistake that led to a wreck and forced him out of the race. The NASCAR driver took full responsibility for the incident, calling it one of the worst moments of his career.

The 30-year-old’s comments came in an interview with Bob Pockrass, who posted the video on X (formerly Twitter). Pockrass captioned the clip, quoting Hill,

“Austin Hill on the bizarre wreck where he ran into the inside wall: "That might be one of the dumbest things that's ever happened to me in my career."”

The video shows Hill explaining how the wreck happened and admitting it was entirely his fault. Early in the second stage of the NASCAR Xfinity GovX 200 at Phoenix, Hill misjudged his position on the track while following Sammy Smith’s No. 8 car. He was trying to gain air off of Smith’s left side but didn’t realize just how close Smith was to the inside wall. When Hill moved slightly, he hit the wall and spun up the track, triggering a multi-car wreck.

The crash collected Sheldon Creed’s No. 00 and Dean Thompson’s No. 26, forcing all three drivers to retire from the race. Speaking after the incident, Hill didn't hold back in admitting his mistake.

"I think that might be one of the dumbest things that's ever happened to me in my career," Hill said. "I mean, I know the wall is there, right? Like everyone knows that the wall is there, but I really didn't think the 8 was that close to it. Like, I was looking to the left, at the wall, and I didn't realize the 8 was that close. Right when I just went to barely get out from his side, it was already too late."

"I feel bad for everyone involved. It looks like the 26 got in there, the 00. Feel bad for those guys because they were innocent bystanders. Obviously, that was 100 percent my fault." he added expressing regret.

Bob Pockrass then asked Hill if he ever thought something like this could happen. Hill admitted that it was one of the most bizarre incidents of his career. He explained that despite running many laps at Phoenix Raceway and knowing the wall was there, he never imagined he would actually hit it. However, his mistake proved that such an unexpected crash was possible.

The crash was Hill's second DNF in the first four Xfinity Series races of the season, a frustrating start for the RCR driver. Sheldon Creed, who had started in the front row and was chasing after his first Xfinity Series win, was also disappointed.

"I think just a simple mistake out of the No. 21 there, it’s pretty blind when there’s a few cars in front of you," Creed said. "It sounds like he hit the wall. I haven’t seen the replay yet, but it sounds like he hit the inside wall and shot up into us. Unfortunately, a wrong place and the wrong time." (via The CW Sports)

Austin Hill later mentioned in the video about now shifting his focus to the upcoming race in Las Vegas, all set to recover from the setback at Phoenix. He mentioned that the team would rebuild and prepare for the next event and aim at a strong performance.

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Kasey Kahne returns to NASCAR with RCR at Rockingham

Richard Childress Racing has added a big name to its Xfinity Series lineup for Rockingham Speedway. Veteran driver Kasey Kahne will pilot a third RCR entry, driving the No. 33 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet in the April 19 race.

Kahne, a former NASCAR Cup Series star with 18 career wins, is excited for his return. The 44-year-old driver shared his emotions about joining the RCR team in its official press release published on the team’s website.

"I’m excited to get back behind the wheel of a stock car, especially at a place like Rockingham Speedway," Kahne said. "Rockingham has been a special track throughout my career. I remember winning the Truck Series race in 2012 when the sport went back there last, so to be a part of the current return is cool."

Team owner Richard Childress praised Kahne’s experience and talent. He complimented him, calling him a great driver and competitor. In his own words,

"Kasey is a great driver and a fierce competitor," he said. "Our Xfinity Series program is top-notch, and we look forward to watching Kasey race with Austin (Hill) and Jesse (Love) for an exciting return to Rockingham Speedway."

RCR’s newest star, Kahne, participated in a test session at Rockingham on January 28 to prepare for the race. The NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Rockingham is scheduled for April 19 at 4:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on The CW.