Austin Hill, a 21 year old driver from Georgia and member of the NASCAR Next Class of 2015, will be taking his next step by racing in New Hampshire in the K&N Pro Series East race this weekend. Hill is racing full time in that series, as well as competing for the championship in his family-owned team.
“I cannot wait to get back behind the wheel at New Hampshire,” Hill said. “Last year, we were really good and I think we have a great shot at winning there.
“I think we are going to have a great setup and I expect to see this No. 22 A&D Welding Don Rich Ford back in the winner’s circle.”
Hill has done well so far in the K&N Pro Series East, starting the season off with a bang with a win. Although he sits second in the point standings, the young racer is not satisfied with his performance since the season-opening win and is looking to improve as he heads to the Granite State.
“We started off the year real good with a win at New Smyrna,” Hill said. “We had a couple of good races afterwards and the last couple of races, we’ve been just a little bit off. We’re trying to get back on track.
“We’re still looking good as far as the points since the leader had a bad race at Columbus. That tightened everybody back up. So, we’re just trying to keep our heads up and get closer to that points lead.
“The K&N Series is so tight that if you miss it by a tenth, you could be in 10th. It is close competition there and we’re just trying to find that balance.
“All we’re looking for is to win races and whatever happens in the points happens. If you think too much about points when you’re racing, that will screw you up. You’ll start trying to figure out who you have to finish in front of. If you go in thinking you need to win every race, the points will take care of themselves.
“As long as we can get a couple more wins and top-fives, we can close it up and it will be a good points battle at the end of the year.”
In addition to taking his next step in racing at New Hampshire, Hill is actively working on his racing career through the NASCAR Next program.
“This is my second year in the NASCAR Next program,” Hill said. “Last year, we did a lot and went to a lot of places and met new people. It’s been a great help, particularly in the media training. Doing interviews has been helpful because when I first got into the program, I could tell that I wasn’t doing as good as I should.
“I still have a lot to learn, but I feel like I’ve improved in that aspect. I’ve gotten my name out there a lot more through the NASCAR Next program. It showcases the young talent coming up through the ranks and hopefully one day I can move from Trucks to Xfinity to Cup.
“I think the NASCAR Next program is helping me do that and hopefully I can battle the likes of Jimmie Johnson one day.”
Hill’s love of racing runs deep. In fact, it goes all the way back to the day he was born when his father would hold him and watch the races on television every Sunday. And that lifelong love and passion is what drives the up-and-coming racer to yearn for that next level.
“My Dad always used to watch the races on Sunday,” Hill Said. “So, every Sunday was mine and his day to watch the races together. I thought it was so cool seeing the cars race at 200 miles per hour so I kept telling him I wanted to race.
“We were at the Georgia State Fair when I was five years old. There was little quarter midget that a guy was advertising and my Dad talked to him a little bit. We ended up going through a class to see if you were ready to control the car.
“On my sixth birthday, he bought me that quarter midget and I got into racing that way. From the first race, I fell in love with it and ever since then I just wanted to race.
“My idol is Jeff Gordon and I wanted to be like him. At first, my Dad thought this was going to be a hobby but here we are today and this is my 15th year racing. And we’re still just trying to make it to that next level.”
Hill is also taking a big next step off the track as well.
“Me and my wife are expecting to have our baby in November,” Hill said. “I’m really excited about it. It’s going to be hard and fun at the same time. At first we were a little bit nervous, thinking about raising a child. We’ve raised three dogs, but this will be different. But I think we’ll be just fine.
“We found out two weeks ago that it will be a girl. My wife has already shopped for clothes and the baby already has enough clothes to last until she is two or three years old. We got the crib the other day and we’re excited to put that together.”
The NASCAR Next driver will be leaving the wife and crib-building soon, however, and will take that next step to New Hampshire. He will race in the K&N Pro Series East race, the United Site Services 70, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 17th.
