Mechanical issue takes Austin Hill out of Xfinity Series race

Xfinity Series driver Austin Hill (21) leads the field during the United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway. Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Mechanical issue takes dominant Austin Hill out of Xfinity Series race at Daytona

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Feb 15, 2025 8:22 PM ET

Austin Hill was the dominant driver for much of Saturday's United Rentals 300 at Daytona, but a mechanical issue took him out of contention to win his fourth consecutive season-opening race at the "World Center of Racing."

Hill swept the stages in Saturday's Xfinity Series season opener, but a mechanical issue knocked him out of the race, relegating him to a 33rd-place finish. Hill officially finished the race 44 laps down.

As Hill led in Stage 3, oil became visible on his bumper camera, and drivers behind him began to complain of Hill's No. 21 leaking fluid. When Hill made his next pit stop, grease covered the tires that were previously on his car, and the odor of fluid and smoke began to infiltrate the cockpit of his Chevrolet.

An update from @_AustinHill. https://t.co/YUiiB4BdC1 pic.twitter.com/DA0hEHOo0P
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) February 15, 2025

"It's either a rear hub, a gear or a combination of both," Hill told CW Sports when asked about the problem. "Such a bummer. We had such a fast Bennett's Chevrolet. We showed that we were the dominant team again, (we) were able to get the stage win there."

"i just wish we could've lost this race on our own terms than because of a mechanical failure. I'd almost rather get turned on the backstretch and end up on my lid than this."

Hill came into Saturday's race chasing history as he attempted to win his fourth consecutive Xfinity Series opener. He enters next week's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway as the defending winner of both Atlanta races in 2024. On Saturday, Hill overtook Dale Earnhardt Jr. for second all-time for the most laps led at drafting tracks in Xfinity Series history.

It just wasn't his night. Hill's two stage victories will keep him above water in the points standings, but he'll start 2025 in a bit of a hole.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

More must-reads: