Austin Hill, tapped to replace Kyle Busch in the Coca-Cola 600 after Busch died at 41, won the United Rentals 250 at Naval Base Coronado. The victory—RCR’s first road-course win since 2016—became a public tribute to Busch, complete with burnouts beside the No.
Austin Hill didn’t celebrate the way you usually see after a NASCAR win. Not at Naval Base Coronado, where the track sits inside an active U.S. military base and where the memory of a fallen driver was printed in plain sight.
After winning the United Rentals 250 in the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series on Saturday night, Hill drove his No. 21 Chevrolet to a spot on the military installation where Kyle Busch’s stylized No. 8 was printed. Then he did a burnout next to it.
“Hell yeah man,” one of Hill’s crew members said on the radio during his burnout. “Good doing it on the logo. KB would be proud.”
Kyle Busch had passed away suddenly earlier this week at age 41. the shock landing hard on Richard Childress Racing. where Busch had driven in the top-level Cup Series for the past four seasons. Busch died May 21 at 41 due to complications of severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis. In the month since his death. things had been difficult for the team. but Saturday delivered a moment that felt like more than a result.
Hill’s checkered-flag win came in the O’Reilly Series race, where he had replaced the role he has now been asked to carry at the Cup level—stepping into Busch’s seat for the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, NC.
The victory marked two milestones at once: Hill’s first-ever road course win, and RCR’s first win at that style of track since 2016.
In victory lane, Hill changed his sponsor’s ballcap for one bearing Busch’s No. 8 on the front. During an interview with a reporter from the CW, he described how the final laps turned into a search for anything that could feel like guidance from the absent driver.
“I was just looking for something those last few laps. I’m not going to lie. I started talking to this guy a little bit. ” Hill said. pointing at the No. 8 on his hat. “Down the straightaways, I’m like, ‘Man, Kyle if you’re here, give me something right?. Let me find another gear.’ For whatever reason the car started to come to life…Everybody at RCR. we’ve been through a lot these last several weeks.”.
His team’s celebration followed that same thread. In victory lane, Hill and his RCR crew all performed the Busch Bow, a nod to the two-time Cup Series champion’s signature celebration.
Richard Childress, the team’s owner, also struggled to put words to what the win meant. He was 80 years old when he addressed the CW during the post-race moment, his voice cracking as he talked about what it felt like to win while “all” of Busch was still inside the organization.
“It’s great. It’s great to win here. We all got Kyle in our hearts,” Childress said, his voice cracking. “You may not show it on the outside but you do.”
Childress said the message of the day was clear: the win wasn’t just a moment for one car, one team, or one day. Hill later dedicated the victory to the entire organization of 300-plus employees based in Welcome, North Carolina.
“RC has been through a lot in this sport. I knew that this win meant a lot to him. You don’t really see RC get too emotional. To see him emotional in victory lane like he was. that just goes to show hard (Busch’s death) is hitting everybody. and him included. and how special this win is for RCR. ” Hill said after the race. “This win is for everyone. This win isn’t just for the No. 21 team. This is for the entire organization of 300-plus employees that we have.”.
Even the race itself carried drama. The chaotic event took place across the 3.4-mile track—NASCAR’s first race on an active U.S. military base—and lasted more than four-and-a-half hours. There were 14 cautions and two red flags.
Hill ultimately took the lead in a way that will likely be remembered long after the numbers get filed. He passed Taylor Gray on the final lap for the finish.
His victory burnout came at a cost. The celebratory spin damaged his rear tires so badly that his car had to be towed to victory lane.
Hill’s season work in the O’Reilly Series has already been strong: he has been a full-time driver for RCR in the O’Reilly Series over the past five seasons. finishing inside the top six of the standings each year. Saturday was his 16th win in the series. His résumé also includes eight wins in the Truck Series. and he has been a regular season champion of both the O’Reilly and Truck Series.
For the transition to the Cup Series, the details have already started changing. For Sunday’s Cup Series race, Hill qualified 10th. Since jumping into Busch’s seat following Busch’s death, the car has been renumbered from 8 to 33.
Childress has said Busch’s stylized No. 8 will remain retired until Busch’s son, 11-year-old Brexton, wants to use it.
The sequence of facts made the moment feel unmistakable: Hill arrives on the Cup stage in the shadow of Busch’s death. then wins a road-course race on a military base where Busch’s No. 8 is literally printed in the landscape—and he chooses to celebrate beside it anyway. In a week defined by loss. RCR’s first road-course win since 2016 didn’t just put a driver in victory lane. It gave the team a way to carry Busch forward.
Austin Hill Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 United Rentals 250 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Naval Base Coronado Brexton Busch No. 8 No. 21 Chevrolet road course victory
So he did burnouts next to Kyle Busch’s number? That’s pretty messed up or pretty fitting, not sure.
I thought this was the actual Coca-Cola 600, like the big race. But it’s the United Rentals 250? Either way I guess it’s a tribute.
Wait Kyle Busch died like… from pneumonia? I didn’t even know, I just saw the headline and figured it was a crash. Burnouts on a military base logo seems like a bold choice.
Not celebrating “the way you usually see” but still doing burnouts?? Can’t wrap my head around it. Also “printed in plain sight” like why would they have the logo there at all if they’re honoring him??