Austin Hill in same unenvious position Kevin Harvick was in 25 years ago

Austin Hill will be forced to do what Kevin Harvick did after the death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001: Drive the car of a legend who died suddenly and unexpectedly while their fan base watches on. 

Hill drove what was Kyle Busch's No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, and while it was re-numbered to the No. 33, the weight of the moment was clear. 

There are some key differences between Hill and Harvick at the time they were asked to fill the shoes of Busch and Earnhardt, respectively. Unlike Harvick, who made his NASCAR Cup Series debut the week after Earnhardt's death at Rockingham, Hill had 17 Cup starts prior to Sunday. 

Differences between Kevin Harvick, Austin Hill

On the other hand, Hill is not a bright 25-year-old prospect as Harvick was, but a 32-year-old veteran of the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (what was the NASCAR Busch Series in 2001). He is one of the series' best drivers — he's racked up 15 wins in 161 starts and has never finished worse than sixth in the standings in four full-time seasons — but he's not the championship favorite in 2026. 

Hill will once again pilot the No. 33 that was once Busch's No. 8 at Nashville Superspeedway on May 31 and will presumably drive it for the rest of the season, though no official long-term plans for the entry have been announced. 

Regardless, Hill is in the same position Harvick was once in and that no race driver ever wants to be in: Driving the car that was once driven by a legend who is being grieved by an entire sport.