Austin Hill will drive in the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet for the rest of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, team owner Richard Childress said on June 6 at Michigan.
Hill has filled in for the last couple races in the No. 33 after the death of Kyle Busch last month. Busch died on May 21 from complications of pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.
Hill, 32, had made occasional starts in a part-time RCR Cup Series entry over the last three seasons to go along with a full-time O'Reilly Auto Parts Series ride. Jesse Love is RCR's other full-time ORAPS driver, but the organization picked Hill to fill the seat.
"For right now, Austin is going to drive — as far as we're concerned — the rest of the year," Childress said. "We don't want to put a burden back on everybody trying to go from one driver to the other."
Hill earned a pair of 27th-place finishes in his first two Cup Series starts with the team heading into this weekend's race at Michigan.
Hill has filled in for the last couple races in the No. 33 after the death of Kyle Busch last month. Busch died on May 21 from complications of pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.
Hill, 32, had made occasional starts in a part-time RCR Cup Series entry over the last three seasons to go along with a full-time O'Reilly Auto Parts Series ride. Jesse Love is RCR's other full-time ORAPS driver, but the organization picked Hill to fill the seat.
"For right now, Austin is going to drive — as far as we're concerned — the rest of the year," Childress said. "We don't want to put a burden back on everybody trying to go from one driver to the other."
Hill earned a pair of 27th-place finishes in his first two Cup Series starts with the team heading into this weekend's race at Michigan.
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