Dale Earnhardt Jr. is joined by the driver of the Richard Childress number-21 Xfinity Series entry Austin Hill. Although Hill is locked in a fierce NASCAR Playoffs battle with JR Motorsports drivers Sam Mayer and Justin Allgaier, he and Dale set their competition aside for the day to better get to know one another. Austin explains that when he was a young boy he became enamored with NASCAR after his father began watching the sport. Taking inspiration from his childhood favorite driver Jeff Gordon, Austin proclaimed that he wanted to pursue racing, and at age six he entered the quarter midget driving ranks. 

After spending his formative years working on his own cars and competing in family-prepared entries, Austin won his way through the K&N East Series and began seeking out opportunities in the NASCAR Trucks division. He recalls his first full-season ride came thanks to Young’s Motorsports, which brought about his first Series top-5 finish at Texas Motor Speedway in 2018. His impressive and consistent performances in the underfunded equipment impressed executives at Hattori Racing, and Austin locked up a multi-year deal driving not only the number-16 Truck entry but selective attempts in the Xfinity Series. After the deal fell apart due to funding issues, Austin disclosed how his current deal with Richard Childress Racing came together, where he continues to forge his path and establish himself as one of the premiere rising talents in NASCAR.