The Watkins Glen Xfinity race wasn’t short of drama. And with Austin Hill’s return after his one-race ban, he seems to have come with loads of it. His return comes at a pivotal point in the season, with playoff spots tightening and every point on the line. Known for his no-nonsense driving style and ability to muscle his way through the field, Austin entered Watkins Glen looking to reassure himself as a contender.

The Mission 200 at the Glen presented the perfect stage for his comeback. With its mix of high-speed traits, technical corners, and passionate New York crowd, the historic road course demanded precision and aggression in equal measures. However, Austin Hill is again under fire by the NASCAR community, and this time it has something to do with veteran driver Michael McDowell.

Hill vs. McDowell ignites Watkins Glen mayhem

Austin Hill’s day started off well. Starting from 10th place, the Richard Childress driver built momentum slowly but steadily. By the end of stage one, he dropped down to 23rd position, but in stage two, Hill pressed forward, positioning himself within the top five. And he was picking up some serious speed. Michael McDowell was running P6 by the end of stage two but was also gaining massive pace. However, everything shifted for McDowell with just eight laps to go, with a late-race collision between the two.

After serving his one-race ban, Austin Hill dove straight into drama at The Glen’s Mission 200. While battling McDowell for P2, Hill tried an aggressive move exiting Turn 5, getting to the inside of McDowell’s left quarter panel just before entering the carousel. The contact sent the latter violently into the guardrail; his car went airborne, spun across the track, and triggered a massive wreck. Over a dozen cars were collected, the guardrail needed major repairs, and the race was halted on red for more than 45 minutes. William Sawalich, Taylor Gray, Jesse Love, Ryan Sieg, and others piled up while attempting to miss McDowell’s destroyed Kaulig Racing No. 11 car.

The chaos reignited a storm online, with many calling for NASCAR to take stronger action. A 16-car pileup blocked the track. Spotters frantically radioed drivers to stop, but several slammed into the wreckage anyway. From the grandstands, it was one of the wildest scenes Watkins Glen has seen in years. McDowell’s exasperated radio message only fueled the anger. He said, “What the heck is that guy doing? I mean, why would he do that?… He hooked me.”

Online, fans speculated about Hill’s future in NASCAR. One fan didn’t hold back; he wrote, “Watch Hill be suspended for the next two races and lose his waiver.” While another took it further, saying, “NASCAR needs to remove Austin Hill from racing for the rest of the year. The guy is a joke.” But this comment takes the cake. One fan really channeled all their energy into this one. They wrote, “ This is why 1 suspensions aren’t sufficient. It’s not a deterrent for poor racing etiquette behavioural issues.” And now, as NASCAR is yet to make a decision about Austin Hill after this race, fans have already delivered their verdict. Could this be Austin Hill’s second race ban this season? It’s only a matter of time before NASCAR announces its decision. Meanwhile, Michael McDowell has even more on the line this weekend as he takes on double duty.

“It’s do or die,” Michael McDowell sounds off on his pursuit of a playoff spot in the Cup Series

Michael McDowell entered the Mission 200 at Watkins Glen running strong in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, starting at P12 and quickly settling into a competitive rhythm. Throughout the early stages of the race, McDowell consistently stayed near the front of the pack. Despite finishing 28th by stage one, McDowell showed serious pace by stage two. He was comfortably running at P6. But as the race progressed, Michael found himself battling fearlessly with Austin Hill for second place.

The two drivers traded paint multiple times, each pushing their limits on the technical turns and fast straights of the Glen. McDowell managed to briefly take the lead after a restart around lap 72, fending off Austin Hill’s pressure, only to have Austin claw back and keep the contest intense. It was a tense, high-speed duel that had fans on the edge of their racing seats. However, it was Austin Hill who managed to end McDowell’s day. But now Michael McDowell has more at stake, as he will also run the NASCAR Cup Series at the Glen, performing the double duty.

The intensity surrounding Watkins Glen is not entirely lost on McDowell, who recognizes the race as a potential turning point and the pursuit of his postseason qualification. Acknowledging the challenges posed by upcoming tracks like Richmond and Daytona, he has emphasized the victory of securing a win at Watkins Glen to earn a place in the playoffs.

Drawing from his extensive experience in high-pressure situations, Michael expressed confidence in his team’s ability to perform under the mounting pressure as the season progresses. Right before the weekend, he said, “It’s do or die for sure, yeah. I mean, yes, we have more opportunities. I mean, we’re not we can go to Richmond and run well too, and obviously, Daytona, I feel like we have a shot at it. But to me, this is the only way you control your own destiny is to win here. The other two are very tough to execute and have everything go your way, so times winding down, as you guys know, right? And, the pressure always ramps up as the times winding down, but I’ve been in the spot before, and, yeah, definitely feel confident that our road course programs, you know, been really good. And if we do our job and we have a fast car and we qualify well today, and we can start up front, we’ll have a shot at it.”

In the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Watkins Glen, McDowell secured a commendable sixth-place start position with a lap time of 1:12.180, achieving a speed of 122.195 mph. The performance places him into serious competition, and as the Cup garage looks forward to Sunday’s race, all eyes will be on McDowell to recover from his horrifying Xfinity incident.