On August 2, 2022, RCR announced that Austin Hill would make his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the No. 33 car at Michigan. It was a modest beginning, but one that lit the fuse for Hill’s slow-and-steady climb into Cup relevance. Fast forward to 2025, and he’s still not a full-time driver, but that doesn’t mean he’s wasting opportunities. With a limited five-race schedule this year, Hill made his return at Darlington and followed it up with an outing in Chicago this Sunday.

And while his Xfinity Saturday was a respectable one, Sunday’s main event delivered something far more meaningful. A gritty top-10 run on the unforgiving streets of Chicago wasn’t just another box ticked for the No. 33; this one felt like a statement. And for Austin Hill? It felt like a win.

Austin Hill turns Richard Childress’ part-time opportunity into personal best

Steady progress and moments of promise have marked Austin Hill’s part-time NASCAR Cup Series schedule in 2025, but his performance at the Chicago Street Race stood out as a breakthrough. Driving the No. 33 United Rentals Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, Hill finished ninth in the Grant Park 165, a tremendous drive for a racer looking to break his way into NASCAR’s top tier.

This is a result that Austin Hill has described: “It honestly feels like a win to me.” This is despite a better performance in the Xfinity race a day earlier. Well, the Richard Childress driver finished 4th in The Loop 110. He did miss out on a win or even a top-three finish by a whisker. Regardless, that better result seems to pale in comparison to his 9th-place finish in the Grant Park 165. Why?

Because on Sunday, Hill walked the tightrope through Chicago’s unforgiving concrete barriers with cleaner precision in a tricky Next-Gen car. “We stayed out when we needed to, pitted when we needed to,” Hill explained to Frontstretch. After qualifying a modest 30th for the 75-lap event, Hill and veteran crew chief Andy Street, his longtime Xfinity Series partner, rolled the dice with a savvy opening-stage strategy.

Rather than pitting, Hill stayed out the entire segment and crossed the line ninth, setting the tone for what would become one of his best Cup-level drives to date. When Josh Berry’s caution on Lap 30 shuffled the field, Hill took advantage, diving into pit road alongside front-runners like Michael McDowell and Denny Hamlin. That call bumped him to 16th as others cycled through green-flag pit stops. From there, Hill leaned into the chaos.

The final stage was a slugfest filled with cautions, restarts, and hard-nosed street racing. But Hill never flinched. He steadily picked his way forward. “Was on the offense there at the end with some tires and, uh, ended up running my fastest lap of the race with like two to go,” Hill explained, as he ultimately took the checkered flag in ninth place. This is his first career top-10 finish in 12 Cup Series starts. Among the Richard Childress Racing camp, only Kyle Busch, who finished fifth, ranked higher.

“The entire 33 team just called a great race today,” Richard Childress’ driver summarized his Chicago Cup Series race. For a part-timer running just five Cup races in 2025, Hill’s performance was a textbook example of how to maximize limited opportunities. However, his race day was not without an incident that he may not want to remember.

Hill regrets the Christopher Bell incident

Austin Hill’s impressive day was nearly marred by a late-race incident with Christopher Bell. It unfolded in the chaotic final laps as drivers fought for every inch on the tight city circuit. Hill, running inside the top 10, made contact with Bell’s No. 20 Toyota, sending Bell spinning and drawing scrutiny from fans and analysts.

Hill was quick to take responsibility for the clash on Lap 71. “Couldn’t get slowed up and just got into his right rear. That was the last thing I wanted to do,” Hill explained after the race. The incident was emblematic of the rough-and-tumble racing that defined the closing laps in Chicago. Multiple drivers, including Katherine Legge and Chase Elliott, were caught up in the intensity as the checkered flag approached.

Bell, who has shown strong speed on street courses but has struggled with bad luck in Chicago, was once again denied a strong finish, ending the race in 24th place. As a result, Bell has now dropped one place in the drivers’ standings. Hill, meanwhile, emphasized that the contact was unintentional and out of character for their on-track relationship: “Christopher and I, we haven’t raced much around each other in years past, but the times that we have, I feel like we’ve always raced with a lot of respect.” 

Hill’s accountability and candor in owning the mistake reinforced his reputation as a respectful competitor. It shows that the Richard Childress driver, even in the heat of battle, values integrity on the track. What did you think of Austin Hill’s career-best Cup Series performance? Let us know in the comments!