NASCAR Suspends Austin Hill One Race, Removes Playoff Points After Indianapolis Incident

NASCAR has suspended Austin Hill for one race and stripped him of all his playoff points following his intentional wreck of Aric Almirola during the Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hill's move, a right-rear hook into Almirola with 10 laps remaining, sent Almirola crashing into an unprotected section of the wall, raising safety concerns. NASCAR initially penalized Hill five laps during the race and later handed down the suspension, citing the severity and retaliation nature of the incident, with officials comparing it to previous high-profile suspensions of drivers like Bubba Wallace and Chase Elliott. Hill's subsequent profane radio outburst directed at NASCAR officials further worsened his case, eliminating any chance of a waiver to retain playoff points. The penalty has drawn mixed reactions, with some fans and insiders feeling the suspension was too lenient given the dangerous nature of the wreck. NASCAR's Senior VP of Competition Elton Sawyer emphasized the decision was carefully considered to maintain law and order within the sport.