The seat now belongs to Austin Hill.
Richard Childress Racing announced Monday, Aug. 24 that Hill will drive the No. 33 Chevrolet - formerly Kyle Busch’s No. 8 ride - full-time in the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Hill has filled Busch’s seat at RCR since the two-time champion tragically died on May 21
due to complications from sepsis caused by presumed bacterial pneumonia, first getting behind the wheel of the renumbered Chevrolet at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.It’s unclear how long Hill’s Cup Series deal with RCR runs for, as details of the contract were not revealed by the team.
“Every race car driver dreams of competing full time in the NASCAR Cup Series, and to have that opportunity with RCR is something I don’t take for granted,” Hill
said in a statement. “I’ve learned so much this year about what it takes to compete at this level, and I’m excited to take everything I’ve learned during my time at RCR and apply it to this next chapter. I want to do everything I can to help this organization continue moving forward. I’m excited for what’s ahead and ready to get to work.”
Hill has a total of 30 starts in the Cup Series since 2022, including 13 in the No. 33 for RCR this season. His best finish at the top level of NASCAR came last season at the Chicago Street Course, where he placed ninth. This season, Hill hasn’t had a top-15 finish and has also registered three DNFs.
Despite some of his struggles at the Cup level this season, Hill has proven to be an accomplished driver in the Craftsman Truck Series and second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Hill won the regular season title in trucks in 2020 and the regular season title in the O’Reilly Series in 2023. He’s in seventh place in O’Reilly this season with a pair of wins - including one at Naval Base Coronado - and is locked into the postseason Chase field.
In all, Hill has 16 wins in the O’Reilly Series and eight victories in the Truck Series. The native of Winston, Georgia climbed the ranks of racing, starting in Legends and bandoleros before moving up to the K&N Pro Series and winning four races.
Hill has developed a reputation for being one of the best drivers at drafting-style tracks, piling up 11 wins in the O’Reilly Series on those speedways. That’s the most by a single driver in the series, surpassing the previous record of eight wins at drafting tracks co-held by Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt and Tony Stewart.
“Austin Hill is a talented race car driver and his continued growth, work ethic and success across multiple levels of NASCAR competition have positioned him for his next step with RCR,” Richard Childress said in a statement. “He’s put a tremendous amount of effort into his career, especially this year with everything he’s taken on. We’ve watched Austin grow as a driver and as a person, and we’re proud to have him continue that growth with RCR in the NASCAR Cup Series.”
The 32-year-old has also been known as a driver that’s been difficult to pass. In the Cup Series this season, he clashed with road course ace Shane van Gisbergen multiple times. Both were called to the NASCAR hauler before the second Atlanta race, when things seemingly reached a boiling point.
"Austin Hill is a grizzly bear, man. He doesn’t take any crap out there on the track,” Austin Dillon, Hill’s RCR teammate and Childress’ grandson, said earlier this season. “I’m excited for Austin Hill because I think he’s a dog. I’m ready to go to war with him and go out there, as my teammate, and battle with him. If there’s any questions about that, he’s qualified.”
Because Hill will be racing full-time in the Cup Series in 2027, he will not be eligible to race full-time in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. That leaves RCR with two open rides in the second-tier series, Hill’s No. 21 and Jesse Love’s No. 2. Love will also move to the Cup Series full-time next season, driving the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers.
RCR has been racing in NASCAR for more than 50 years. Earnhardt won six of his seven championships with the team.
The sudden death of Busch shook NASCAR in a way that it perhaps hasn’t experienced since Dale Earnhardt died in a crash at the 2001 Daytona 500. When Earnhardt died, Kevin Harvick replaced him the next week at Rockingham and went on to have a Hall of Fame career.
Busch was in his fourth season driving for RCR after spending the previous 15 years of his career with Joe Gibbs Racing. Busch is NASCAR’s all-time winningest driver with 234 combined wins across the three national touring circuits.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Austin Hill will be the full-time replacement for Kyle Busch at RCR in 2027
