Austin Hill wins XFINITY race at Homestead, qualifies for Championship 4
With about 20 laps left in Austin Hill’s victory of the Credit One NASCAR Amex Credit Card 300 Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he started to consider what was at stake.
If he could pass Cole Custer and take the checkered flag, he would secure his first ever appearance in the Xfinity Series’ Championship 4.
“It was weighing on me pretty hard,” Hill said. “That made me push a little too hard at times. …I had to just settle down.”
Then, after Hill’s No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro surged past Custer’s No. 00 Ford Mustang with 12 laps left, came “the longest laps of my life.”
Hill beat Custer by 3.045 seconds, crying as he zoomed around the 1.5-mile oval the final lap.
“There were so many emotions that went through my head,” Hill said.
Hill’s 10th career win in the Xfinity Series marked a breakthrough for the 30-year-old. He came close to qualifying for the Championship 4 with multi-win seasons the past three years. And while he entered Saturday’s race with three wins this season, he was still below the cutline and started fifth amongst the eight playoff drivers.
“I’ve worked so hard at this,” Hill said, “and my dreams came true.”
Custer led four times Saturday for a total of 67 laps. He has led 473 laps in six career starts at Homestead and finished in the top five four times.
“I thought we had it that second to last run,” Custer said. “Our car was really good, and we freed it up a little bit and gained some speed, but that last run we got pretty free and the 21 got way better than they were the second to last run.”
Custer heads into the last Round of 8 race, Nov. 2 at Martinsville Speedway, fourth overall in the points standings.
“Points-wise, I think we’re in a solid spot,” Custer said.
▪ Aric Almirola, who finished third Saturday, has had five top five finishes in his 11 starts this season. He has three top 10 finishes at Homestead.
“Really hard fought,” Almirola said. “We battled the balance of the car all day. Just couldn’t quite get it where I needed to have the balance right. It would fire off okay and then I was just average at best.”
▪ In the Craftsman Truck Series’ Baptist Health 200 on Saturday, the rear of Matt Mills’ Chevy Silverado caught on fire after hitting the outside wall. Connor Jones bumped Mills from behind, sending him into the wall. NASCAR issues Jones a two-lap penalty.
▪ Former Marlins player Eddy Alvarez was the honorary pace car driver for Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 400. The Miami native is one of six athletes, and the third American ever, to medal in both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
He won a silver medal in speed skating at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and a silver playing for USA Baseball in Tokyo in 2024.
▪ Influencer and singer Candy Love performed the national anthem.
▪ William Sawalich made his much-anticipated Xfinity Series debut. The 18-year-old finished 24th.
▪ Nick McBeath, tire carrier for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 car driven by Ty Gibbs on Sunday, is a Miami native.
This story was originally published October 26, 2024 at 7:23 PM.