TALLADEGA — april 27, 2025 —
In a stunning finish, Austin Hill secured his first victory at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR xfinity Series, capping off a race filled with dramatic turns. The final lap saw a collision that led to a caution and a review by NASCAR officials. With a strategic approach and teamwork, Hill emerged victorious after the chaos. For more details on the race outcome, read on.
austin Hill Claims Victory in Dramatic talladega Finish
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Austin Hill secured his first Talladega Superspeedway win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, marking his 13th career victory and eighth on a drafting track.The race concluded in dramatic fashion, with a last-lap incident shuffling the leaderboard.
Last-Lap Chaos Determines the Winner
Connor Zilisch, driving for JR Motorsports, appeared poised for victory on the final lap. However, contact from Jesse Love, Hill’s Richard Childress racing (RCR) teammate, sent Zilisch spinning across the backstretch and into the inside wall, triggering a race-ending caution.
NASCAR officials reviewed the finish, ultimately declaring Hill the winner. Jeb Burton finished second, and Love was credited with third.
Man, we really had to work for that one. It just seemed like our car was really good. Everybody at RCR, ECR engines are bad to the bone like always. But yeah,we had to work for it. I thought the #2 [Love] was really good.— Austin Hill, following his talladega victory
Hill’s Perspective on the Final Moments
Hill described his strategy in the closing laps, emphasizing the teamwork with his RCR teammate.
I just locked in and started pushing the heck out of the #2 [Love] car. My teammate Jesse, we worked really well together all day for the most part. I was pushing as hard as I possible could on the top. I knew he was going to have a really good run down the backstretch, and I figured he was going to go left to get the bottom and when he went left, I knew I still had help out back. I see him [Zilisch] spin to the inside and I’m looking left, looking at the light, and I couldn’t tell.I knew it was either me or the #27 [Burton]. Man, to win them any way is always great and to finally conquer Talladega — that’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.— Austin Hill, on the final lap decisions
Did You Know?
Austin Hill’s victory at Talladega marks his first at the track, despite having a strong record on other superspeedways. This win adds to his remarkable tally of eight victories on drafting tracks.
Burton Questions the Outcome
Jeb Burton, who initially believed he had won the race, expressed his disappointment and questioned NASCAR’s decision. Burton has two previous Xfinity wins, both at Talladega, but is still seeking his first victory of the current season.
Burton indicated his team might protest the result or seek clarification from NASCAR, hoping for a better angle of the caution.
Pro Tip:
Race finishes under caution are frequently enough reviewed frame-by-frame by NASCAR officials to determine the order of the cars at the moment the caution flag is displayed. These reviews can be crucial in determining the winner of a close race.
Final Results
The official top five finishers were:
- 1. Austin Hill
- 2. Jeb Burton
- 3. Jesse Love
- 4. Justin Allgaier
- 5. Matt DiBenedetto
Anthony Alfredo, Blaine Perkins, Harrison Burton, sheldon Creed, and Daniel dye completed the top ten.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who won the NASCAR Xfinity race at talladega?
- Austin Hill won the race.
- What happened on the last lap?
- Connor Zilisch spun out after contact with Jesse Love, triggering a caution.
- Did Jeb Burton protest the results?
- Burton indicated his team might protest or seek clarification from NASCAR.
