Austin Hill suspended for one race for hitting Almirola

NASCAR has suspended Austin Hill for one race following his intentional wreck of Aric Almirola during Saturday's Xfinity Series event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The penalty will keep him out of the August 3 race at Iowa Speedway.

Hill to miss Iowa but retains playoff eligibility

The driver of the #21 Chevrolet for Bennett Transportation will keep his playoff spot but must forfeit all playoff points accumulated this season. This impacts his playoff positioning, where he currently sits third in the championship with 650 points and three wins.

Richard Childress Racing has not yet announced who will drive the #21 at Iowa Speedway during Hill's absence on August 3.

Photo By Nascar Media

The incident occurred on lap 91 when Almirola went low on Hill approaching the Turn 4 chicane. The #19 Toyota Supra slammed into the outside wall after Hill turned left and made contact with Almirola's right rear.

"It was absolutely intentional," Almirola stated after his mandatory visit to the infield care center. "It was racing time, I got him loose, and he just turned left and hooked me in the right rear. That was one of the hardest hits I've taken in my entire NASCAR career."

Impact on Xfinity Series championship

Hill remains third in the overall standings, behind Connor Zilisch (729 points, 5 wins) and Justin Allgaier (750 points, 3 wins). Jesse Love sits fourth with 654 points and one win, while Brandon Jones completes the top 5 with 595 points.

Almirola, competing part-time this season, has 338 points and one win. The 40-year-old veteran continues his selective participation in the series following his retirement from full-time Cup Series competition.

NASCAR held Hill's Camaro on pit road for five laps for aggressive driving and warned it would review the incident during the week to determine if additional penalties would apply.

NASCAR also penalizes Erik Jones' team

The organization issued additional penalties in the Cup Series following Sunday's race. The #43 team of Erik Jones was penalized for a lost wheel during the event. Crew members Kellen Mills and John Rosselli were suspended for two races, including the August 10 event at Watkins Glen. The loss or separation of an improperly installed wheel during competition violates NASCAR's safety rules under sections 8.8.10.4.C of the rulebook.