It felt almost poetic and tragic that Austin Hill was eliminated from the Xfinity Series playoffs by exactly 21 points, because that’s how many playoff bonus points he lost due to a suspension earlier in the season. What looked like a punishment far off from the playoff stage ended up being the very margin dividing him from continuing his title quest.

Earlier in July, during the Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Hill and Aric Almirola tangled in Turn 3 late in the race. After Almirola nudged Hill up the track, Hill “ hooked ” Almirola’s right rear, sending him into the wall. NASCAR deemed that move intentional, handed Hill a five-lap penalty for rough driving, and later suspended him for one race.

To make it worse, under NASCAR’s 2025 rules, Hill was required to forfeit all

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