Austin Dillon commends Austin Hill but doesn't reveal his NASCAR Cup future

Since the death of Kyle Busch on May 21, Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Hill has been put under a microscope. 

Hill, who has driven for RCR in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series since 2022, took over Busch's re-numbered No. 33 Cup Series entry, racing alongside Austin Dillon. 

Hill is pulling double-duty nearly every week while competing for the O'Reilly Series title and trying to stake out a future for himself at the Cup level. 

"I think he's won at every level when it comes to the Truck and [O'Reilly] Series," Dillon said Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway. "He's been able to take bad days and turn them into good days. I like watching him in the O'Reilly Series over the last couple years where he consistently puts himself in position to have a shot. 

"That ability to take one step at a time makes him a consistent factor. While we were first meeting about Austin, you're always going to have a shot [to win] at road courses and speedways with him in the car. I feel like he's a high percentage road racer and speedway racer."

Will Austin Hill earn the No. 33 ride in 2027?

Dillon said that it's intermediate and short tracks where the differences between the O'Reilly Series vehicle and the Cup Series' Next-Gen car are the most noticeable. 

"That learning curve takes a minute," Dillon said. 

With the future of RCR's No. 33 Cup entry still up in the air, Dillon did not divulge whether or not the ride will be Hill's next season. It's likely that Hill, 32, would be the leading candidate to land the car, though other drivers such as Noah Gragson could be in the mix. 

"I think he's doing a great job," Dillon said of Hill. "I'll wait and let RCR make that call."

Quotes provided by NASCAR Media.