HAMPTON, Ga. — It turns out there is a way to beat Austin Hill at Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway. You send him into a big slide and knock him out of the lead on the last lap.
Hill rallied several times from deficits during Saturday night’s Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250 to emerge in the lead as the white flag flew. NASCAR Cup Series invader Ross Chastain, who led 11 consecutive laps before Hill took first place, hit Hill’s Chevrolet as they wrestled for the lead with a mile to go, dropping Hill out of the top 10.
MORE: Race results | At-track photos: EchoPark
Among the results of that calamity was Sheldon Creed inheriting first place and ultimately the win, his first in the series after numerous runner-up finishes.
Another result? Bruised feelings on pit road post-race as Hill criticized the move by Chastain.
“When Ross is behind you, I expect to get put firewall deep in the wall,” Hill said. “I mean, that’s just the things he does. So, unfortunate, but what about that save, though? The save was, like, just insane.”
Hill masterfully regained control of his car, rejoined the front-running pack in the middle of Turn 3 and finished 12th.
“I could have very easily ended up hitting the wall head-on, but was able to save it and salvage a 12th-place finish,” Hill said. “So, all in all, it was awesome.”
Still, the failure to win at a track where he is a prohibitive favorite stung.
“He got into my left rear and just didn’t lift,” Hill said. “I wouldn’t have lifted either, probably. We’re all just going for it. Unfortunately, we lost the race. He didn’t win the race, either. Finished sixth or whatever it was, then ol’ Sheldon got it done. I’m very happy for him.
“There’s only so much space you can cover [trying to protect the lead]. It’s worked in my favor so many times here. Eventually, it’s not going to work in my favor, and tonight was one of those nights.”
Chastain said he pursued Hill after Hill made the white-flag pass.
“If I would have went to his right rear, I think I would have had to lift out of [the gas], versus going to the bottom, I’d have been wide open,” Chastain said. “Coming to the checkered, I pulled out of line and he chased me down. I don’t blame him. I believe it’s a racing crash. It’s not an accident. We crashed. But yes, it was racing.”
Asked if he planned to discuss the finish with Chastain, Hill said, “I couldn’t care less to talk to Ross Chastain. I have nothing to say to him.”
MORE: O’Reilly Auto Parts Series standings | O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule
Likewise, Chastain doesn’t anticipate much conversation following Saturday’s race.
“I’ll see him in the gym on Monday, so we’ll be on the treadmill side-by-side going through a Chevy workout,” Chastain said. “But no, nothing crazy. I think he’ll realize the run I had felt very similar to the run he had the lap before.”