Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet Camaro SS at Auto Club Speedway… Hill will be making his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Auto Club Speedway. He claimed a 16th-place finish in the 2020 event.
A Pair of Firsts at Daytona … Hill scored his first-career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in the season opening event on Feb. 19 at Daytona International Speedway. The driver of the Bennett Transportation and Logistics Chevrolet Camaro SS passed AJ Allmendinger on the last lap to claim the win in just his 16th career start. The Daytona event was also Hill’s first start at Richard Childress Racing.
Locked Into the Playoffs … With his Daytona victory, Hill has clinched a spot in the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. He enters the event at Auto Club Speedway second in the series championship standings, four points behind leader Allmendinger.
About Bennett Family of Companies … McDonough-Ga. based Bennett Family of Companies is a woman-owned, Women’s Enterprise Business Council (WBENC) certified, diversified transportation and logistics company. Through its nine affiliated operating companies, the Bennett Family of Companies delivers integrated transportation and supply chain management solutions worldwide. The company will use race experiences to recruit and retain hundreds of truck drivers for their organization in 2022. For more information, visit www.Drive4Bennett.com.com.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTES:
You won at Daytona and you’re in the Playoffs. What does that feel like?
“It takes a lot of weight off your shoulders because now we can go to Auto Club Speedway this weekend and not feel like, man, I need to run really well this weekend and stack up points. Like I said on the radio right after the race, I came to RCR for one thing and one thing only, and that’s to win races. We got one under our belt, and we expect a lot more. I feel like Richard Childress Racing is the type of organization that I want to be around because they’re very family oriented and that’s what I love about this team. They’re always there for you. I think that’s why this organization just works for me, and hopefully we can work together for a lot of years to come.”
There hasn’t been a race at Auto Club Speedway in almost two years. How big of a factor is that?
“NASCAR does a really good job of cleaning the track off but it’s still a challenge. The first laps on the racetrack there’s dust flying everywhere and you just see a cloud of dust behind you. It’s going to be a worn out surface and managing tire wear is going to be crucial. Maybe start the run at the bottom for a little bit and if your car is really good and you’ll go up and be running the fence by the end of it.”
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Auto Club Speedway … Richard Childress Racing has made 92 overall NASCAR Cup Series starts at Auto Club Speedway and has tallied one win, a thrilling victory by Kevin Harvick in 2011. RCR has three pole awards at the California track, led by Austin (2016 and 2019) and Mike Skinner (2000), and has 12 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes.
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Auto Club Speedway … In 61 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the 2.0-mile speedway, RCR has captured two victories with drivers Jeff Burton (2007) and Austin Dillon (2016) and has won five pole positions. The Welcome, N.C., based organization has racked up 20 top-five and 38 top-10 finishes, led 272 laps and completed 8,871 of a possible 9,154 laps (96.90 percent).
All Aboard … This weekend, NASCAR Cup Series drivers Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick are bringing back two new partners on their Chevrolet ZL1’s. Dillon will pilot the No. 3 Dow Coatings Chevrolet while Reddick hits the track in the No. 8 Lenovo Chevrolet. Both are longtime partners of RCR and the entire organization is excited to have them on track this weekend in Fontana.
NASCAR is Back in Fontana … The most recent visit by NASCAR to Auto Club Speedway was in February of 2020, making this the first race back in two years. RCR driver Anthony Alfredo piloted the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro SS to a respectable sixth-place finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race while Tyler Reddick led the NASCAR Cup Series effort with an 11th-place finish in our last NASCAR Xfinity Series appearance at the track.
Catch All of Saturday’s Action … The Production Alliance 300 will be televised live on Saturday, February 26 at 5 p.m. ET on FS1 and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Prior to the race, you can catch Xfinity Series practice at 12 p.m. ET followed by Xfinity Series qualifying at 12:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The NASCAR Cup Series will hit the track for the first time at 2 p.m. ET for practice and will qualify directly after that at 2:35 p.m. ET on FS1.
Tune-In Information for Sunday’s Action … The Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway will be televised live Sunday, February 27 beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
