The NASCAR rumors have been swirling for months that Austin Hill would race full-time in the Cup Series next season for Richard Childress Racing, staying in the No. 33 car that he’s driven since the tragic passing of Kyle Busch. However, Hill’s path to that Cup ride has reportedly hit a bump.
On Sunday night’s episode of The Teardown, NASCAR insider Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic shared that contract negotiations between Hill and Richard Childress racing “may have hit a snag” recently. While a deal is still expected to get done, recent on-track developments have created an alternative option for RCR.
“From what I’ve been told, those contract negotiations may have hit a snag a little bit. Ultimately, I think Austin Hill is going to be in the 33 car.”
Jordan Bianchi on Austin Hill’s contract talks with Richard Childress Racing
Related: Insight Into Potential Richard Childress Racing Plans for 2027
Hill, age 32, was the obvious choice to drive RCR’s second car following Busch’s passing. It’s required him to pull double-duty in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Cup level throughout the summer, all at a time when he’s trying to earn his first-ever O’Reilly Series championship.
Jesse Love, an RCR development driver, was once viewed as a potential option. However, Wood Brothers Racing signed him to drive the No. 21 car next season. With the overwhelming majority of NASCAR teams re-signing their Cup Series drivers to new deals through 2027, that left Richard Childress with minimal options until recently.
Why Austin Hill’s Timing for Contract Issue is Poor
Hill, who heads to Daytona with 30 career Cup Series races, has driven in 15 this season for RCR. It’s a sizable sample size to evaluate the veteran driver, especially for a comparison to RCR’s likely alternative option.
Related: Another Driver Emerging as Cup Option for Richard Childress Racing
Austin Hill vs Josh Berry stats comparison
| Austin Hill | Josh Berry | |
|---|---|---|
| Avg. Finish (Last 6 Races) | 28.3 | 13.8 |
| Avg. Finish (Last 15) | 28.4 | 22.8 |
| DNFs (Last 15) | 3 | 2 |
| Laps Led (Last 15) | 1 | 76 |
| Avg. Rating (Last 15) | 45.7 | 60.5 |
Berry, who is being replaced by Love in the No. 21 car next season, has delivered a career-best stretch as of late. He’s earned four consecutive top-10 finishes, earning 30-plus points in every race.
What hurts Berry, however, is the fact that he doesn’t have the strong ties to RCR. Hill’s strong relationship with Childress and his familiarity with the No. 33 team has made it seem like a foregone conclusion that he’ll race full-time at the Cup level next year.
While that clearly remains the expectation right now, Berry’s on-track performance over the last month coincides right with the timing of RCR’s contract talks with Hill reportedly hitting a snag. Given Austin Dillon’s future as the leader of the team, it’s at least within the realm of possibility that he prioritizes bringing in the better-performing driver over making a decision based on a pre-existing relationship with Hill.
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