Atlanta Motor Speedway is a track NASCAR Next driver, Austin Hill, knows better than most. He’s raced and won there numerous times before in Bandoleros and Legend cars. This Saturday, the 21-year-old competitor will compete at his hometown track for the first time in a national touring series as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) comes to town.
Not only will this weekend’s race be the debut for Hill in the NCWTS at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but it will also kick off a part-time series of races with Hill holding both the driver and team owner title. The young driver will pilot the No. 20 ARCO Design/Build Ford F-150 for his family-owned team, Austin Hill Racing, in this weekend’s event at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 27.
“It has been very busy, yet exciting, trying to take on the two tasks—being the driver and essentially team owner,” Hill said. “My dad would like me to run the company, while also being hands on with the truck. It’s totally new to my wife and I, who helps me on the business side, but we’re having a lot of fun with it.”
Hill and his father, Bryan, have been partnered in the racing industry for the last 15 years—ever since the NASCAR Next driver received his first Quarter Midget car as a gift for his sixth birthday.
“I think my dad kind of thought it was just going to be a hobby of mine that we would do for a few years until I started to like basketball and baseball. But here we are today running the NASCAR truck series this season. He’s the reason I’m here today and I can’t thank him enough.”
Even before Hill’s very first race at Atlanta Motor Speedway at the age of nine, the father-son duo built a relationship that continues to be strengthened with each race weekend. The Ford F-150 driver has gotten into a pattern of receiving the “knuckles bump” and “go get ‘em” words of encouragement by his father before each qualifying session and race.
Hill’s father has been the support and motivation behind the young driver’s racing career since the very beginning. He continues to motivate him all the way through to the end—through the good races and the bad—as his childhood hobby has become his career.
“There have been times where I’ve been very frustrated and wanted to give up on my racing career. My dad always told me to keep my head up and stay strong. He reminds me to keep looking ahead to what’s next and what’s better to come,” Hill said. “So that’s what I’ve always done.”
Looking forward to Saturday’s race, Hill has one goal to obtain.
“I want to put on a good show. It’ll be pretty awesome to see all of my family and friends there. Hopefully we have a good truck and I can perform to the best of my ability.”
Austin Hill PR
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