After taking the checkered flag for the fourth time this season in Talladega, Austin Hill purposefully did something. He flipped the bird at fans, making the gesture while driving his No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevy to Victory Lane. This added to his ‘villain’ status in NASCAR, given the multitude of questionable incidents in which Hill got himself embroiled. However, Dale Jr., the 15-time Most Popular Driver, defended Hill’s win.

Hot on Austin Hill’s heels were the JR Motorsports playoff contenders. Namely, Justin Allgaier, 2024 Xfinity Series champion, Carson Kvapil, and Connor Zilisch. Despite their overflowing zeal in the race to the championship, they could not outsmart Hill. And Dale Jr. respects him for it.

Dale Jr. gives a reality check to fans

Despite Justin Allgaier’s 3rd-place finish and Carson Kvapil’s runner-up result, their team hit a few bumps. When the race entered overtime with an extra 6 laps, the No. 7 team chose to give up track position and fill up. Kvapil came closest to clinching with a victory, driving from eighth to second with a head of steam on the final lap. But a pre-overtime pit stop for gas axed his pace, and he wound up just 0.105 seconds behind race winner Austin Hill. These mistakes evoked criticism from Hill’s detractors, who demanded more from JRM’s stars.

However, Dale Jr. vehemently bashed the critics. In a recent Dale Jr. Download episode, the veteran praised Austin Hill’s unbeatable speed. “The 21 is so fast. And when he gets a lead, he knows how to move and get in front and get the energy off the cars behind him. He is so good at it. And I don’t know what people think is supposed to happen.” He continued, “I don’t know what our guys are supposed to do…Justin’s pushing the one car as hard as he can. I mean, you’re not going to push him, right?” 

Other fans claimed that the JRM drivers could have collaborated with other Chevrolets. Dale Jr. said, “Some fans are saying that we’re racing each other instead of trying to work together and beat him, but I didn’t see that. I think what they’re really referring to is the 30 or 20 laps we ran at the top of the racetrack with him leading the race.”

However, Dale Jr. countered that, as bump drafting is successful only with cars that have speed. And the cars of Josh Williams and Leland Honeyman were not so promising. He continued, “When you see the 70 or the 45, this is no disrespect to these guys, but when you look…at the speed of their cars, you’re not going to push them into the lead. You’re sitting there as a driver in that line going, ‘What’s the risk? What’s the reward? There’s a lot of risk, very little reward. If all four of our cars got down into the bottom and even all four of them lined up on the bottom, we’re not driving by.”‘

Dale Jr. also had no qualms about Austin Hill’s controversial gesture at fans after the race. He figured that NASCAR should ‘let it slide,’ suggesting, “It does add some color. And there’s not a lot of people out there willing to be the villain, to be the bad guy.”

But while Dale Jr. had no problem with Hill’s victory, he may be biting his nails about Hill’s teammate.

Gearing up for a solid fight

Although Austin Hill won in Talladega, he is not in the playoffs. This was the result of wrecking Aric Almirola back in Indianapolis and NASCAR stripping all his playoff points. Nevertheless, his RCR teammate, Jesse Love, is still in the conversation. What is more, he has the highest chance of derailing an all-JRM Championship 4 crowd. Only Sammy Smith has to cover an 11-point gap to join his three teammates in Phoenix. However, Love is his biggest threat – the RCR youngster started from the pole position and contended all day in Talladega.

Only the pit stop for fuel during the ensuing caution took the No. 2 out of third place, and he rallied to claim 10th. That is why Jesse Love is preparing more for the race in Martinsville, although he has a 40-point cushion. “I’m going to tell my guys to make sure that freaking whatever’s around the radiator is as strong as it can possibly be. Because it’s so easy to get even, just run in the back up there and pushing the guy in front of you on a restart stack-up. And the second that radiator goes, you’re done. So definitely have to be mindful of that and play it safe next week, start focusing on Phoenix without getting too far ahead of ourselves.”

Dale Jr. will also be mindful of Love’s moves, as Sammy Smith’s battle will be solid. Let’s wait and see how the RCR-JRM battle plays out.