Austin Hill sparks major Watkins Glen wreck draws criticism from McDowell after late-race contact

Austin Hill triggered a multi-car crash in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen International, drawing criticism from competitors, Fox News reported.

With nine laps to go, Hill was battling Michael McDowell, Zane Smith, and Sam Mayer as they chased race leader Connor Zilisch. Coming out of Turn 5, Hill made contact with the rear of McDowell’s car, sparking a chain reaction involving multiple drivers.

Hill accepted responsibility for the contact but framed it as part of hard racing. “Just two guys going for it. Nothing malicious, as much as everybody wants to make it more than it is,” Hill told Frontstretch. He explained he was trying to close in on Zilisch, who was pulling away, and believed he had a chance to catch McDowell off guard. “I had a massive run off the Carousel… I thought I could get to his left side,” Hill said.

While Hill described the move as aggressive competition, McDowell offered a different view. He said Hill had been bumping him for the previous two laps. “He turned me for sure… there is no way he was gonna get alongside me,” McDowell told NASCAR.com. Though he did not accuse Hill of intentionally hooking him, McDowell said Hill chose “not to lift” and forced the spin. He stressed the move was not the same as a dangerous right-rear hook on an oval track.

The incident comes weeks after NASCAR suspended Hill for one race following a crash at Iowa. As of Sunday, it remains unclear whether additional disciplinary action will be taken, according to Fox News.

The Mission 200 at The Glen continued without Hill in contention, and Zilisch maintained his lead to the finish.