“They didn’t do a damn thing to the 2 car when he wrecked Ty and admitted to it…We’re a blue-collar team; they give us trouble all the time.” Richard Childress’ plaintive comments came after his team got into yet another controversial incident last weekend. Austin Hill seemed to intentionally wreck Aric Almirola, and NASCAR used its harshest measure. Although Childress referred to a previous incident, the two situations may vary.
When Team Penske driver Austin Cindric intentionally hooked Ty Dillon’s right-rear panel, many questioned NASCAR’s lack of action. Veterans like Kevin Harvick called for ‘parking’ Cindric’s car, and that is what Childress referred to recently. However, NASCAR has an explanation.
The risk was greater on Richard Childress’ side
Well, wrecks and mishaps are interwoven with NASCAR’s essence. That is why an extra level of scrutiny is required to assess drivers’ antics on the racetrack. When Roger Penske’s driver committed his COTA actions, NASCAR handed him a $50,000 fine and a 50-point redux. This was a lesser penalty than a one-race suspension, which Richard Childress’ Xfinity driver, Austin Hill, got in Indianapolis. He was 5th in the playoffs, but now, Hill will lose all playoff points (21 so far), both present and future. This severely axed his chances at a 2025 championship, despite Hill’s 3 trophies. Hence, Childress clamored against apparent favoritism for Penske.
However, NASCAR explained its stance. Austin Cindric’s actions unfolded at a road course where drivers race at slower speeds. Austin Hill, on the other hand, spun Almirola’s car into a wall without SAFER barrier protection – a recipe for disaster. Hence, NASCAR officials cleared up Richard Childress‘ qualms in a ‘Hauler Talk’ episode. Journalist Steven Taranto quoted them on X: “In response to Richard Childress’ whatabout assertion in regards to the Austin Cindric/Ty Dillon incident at COTA, NASCAR cited track type and the Hill/Almirola incident occurring at a high speed oval vs. the Cindric/Dillon incident, which occurred at much lower speeds.”
NASCAR officials went into some more detail on Hauler Talk today about the process of electing to park Austin Hill for this weekend’s Xfinity Series race at Iowa. Some takeaways:
– Xfinity cars don’t have steering sensors or similar data, so officials relied on replay and felt… pic.twitter.com/uxKlEJNR0a
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) July 30, 2025
What is more, Austin Hill‘s comments immediately after the fireworks were not so pretty. As NASCAR Xfinity officials penalized Richard Childress’ driver for reckless driving, Hill hollered: “F— NASCAR.” Officials also had a response to that, as they decided to keep the penalty short. Taranto wrote, “There was “some discussion” on whether there needed to be things layered onto the penalty, but NASCAR elected to keep it at a one-race suspension. Mike Forde mentioned Hill did not do media afterwards, but that “there were some circumstances around that.”
Richard Childress, unfortunately, had to yield to NASCAR’s decision as RCR chose not to appeal Austin Hill’s penalty. This is a heartbreaking moment for RCR, considering the team’s condition this season.
Sucked into a vortex of failures?
Things have not been looking good for RCR over the last few years. The problems mainly stem from the Cup Series, where Kyle Busch is on a dismal 79-race winless streak. The two-time Cup Series champion is hardly in his prime. Richard Childress lamented about Busch’s narrowly missed top ten in Dover: “We are in trouble. Period.” Austin Dillon is no better, as last year’s bump-and-run in Richmond and the ensuing penalty still hang heavy on his shoulders. Jesse Love, a promising young driver in RCR’s Xfinity team, lost his victory at Rockingham Speedway due to a post-race technical violation. And now, Austin Hill’s prospects look bleak as ever.
The No. 21 Chevrolet driver was probably the only one capable of fetching wins on a weekly basis. However, his aggression got in the way, and Austin Hill faces genuine risks. The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi commented on his career at present: “It’s gonna be tough for Austin Hill in the playoffs, a championship favorite. He’s got three wins this year [and] he’s currently ranked fifth in points. Now, he’ll get a waiver to make the playoffs, and that’s fine, but his road to the Championship 4 is much harder now than it would have been before Saturday’s incident.”
Clearly, Richard Childress needs to get on a war footing to fix his team’s problems. With Austin Hill’s fresh penalty, that task just got a lot harder, so let us wait and see what RCR’s next plan of action is.
The post NASCAR Sends Clear Message After Richard Childress’ Allegations of Roger Penske Favoritism appeared first on EssentiallySports.