NASCAR: Why Austin Hill Winning Atlanta Would Be Storybook

The NASCAR Cup Series circuit is heading to a track where Austin Hill has had a ton of success at. Hill, a 16-time winner in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, is a five-time winner at EchoPark Speedway, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway.

This Sunday’s Quaker State 400 is set to be Hill’s 10th Cup Series start of the season and the eighth since being called up as the replacement driver for the late Kyle Busch. Hill is seeking his first Cup Series win in his 25th start.

While the odds are stacked against Hill as he enters Atlanta at +4500, an upset victory would not just be a great moment for himself and Richard Childress Racing.

It will go down as an all-time NASCAR moment.

Comparisons to Kevin Harvick’s 2001 Atlanta win

In the 2001 Daytona 500, seven-time Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt was tragically killed in a last-lap crash. Earnhardt was one of the sport’s most prolific drivers behind the wheel of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

After Earnhardt’s death, Kevin Harvick was named the replacement driver. RCR switched from the No. 3 to No. 29.

In just his third career start, the same number as Earnhardt’s RCR Chevrolet, Harvick captured his first career Cup Series victory.

Where did he win? Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

Fast forward to 2026. On May 21, two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch died unexpectedly after a case of pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.

Like Earnhardt, Busch drove for RCR and was one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR history. 

Hill became Busch’s replacement driver, with his first race being in the Coca-Cola 600.

This Sunday, the Cup Series heads to the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hill’s home track.

It will be the eighth race since Busch’s passing, the same number that was on the side of his RCR Chevrolet.

Two icons of the sport, the same team, the same track, the same number of races since they passed — the parallels are almost unfathomable. 

As history would have it, Hill rolling into victory lane this Sunday night would make for an incredible storybook ending for NASCAR and RCR.

Hill is a five-time Atlanta winner in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series

It is safe to say it is a longshot that Hill will be able to pull off a victory on Sunday. However, the improbable triumph is not impossible. 

In the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Hill has been a dominant force on drafting tracks. Piloting the No. 21 RCR Chevrolet, 11 of Hill’s 16 career victories have come on drafting tracks. Five of those came at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

If Hill can get his first career Cup victory anywhere, Atlanta is probably his best bet. On top of that, a victory could seal the deal on Hill returning to the No. 33 in 2027 as there has not been an announcement on who will fill the seat next year.

Of course, drafting track racing in the Cup Series is different from the NOAPS. Still, it is safe to say Hill could translate a thing or two from the O’Reilly side to the Cup side.

Regardless, a Hill victory this Sunday would make for one of the most emotional NASCAR moments in history, and perhaps give Kyle Busch fans something to smile about.

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