Austin Hill delivered a masterclass in superspeedway racing on Saturday, October 18, 2025, sweeping all three stages to clinch victory in the United Rentals 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the legendary Talladega Superspeedway. In a race packed with drama, strategy, and heart-stopping moments, Hill’s No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet proved untouchable in the closing laps, cementing his status as the king of drafting tracks with his tenth career win in such conditions.
From the moment engines fired, the field was buzzing with anticipation. Jesse Love, piloting the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing machine, led the pack to green from pole position, flanked by Williams Sawalich on the outside. Early on, Christian Eckes gave Love a crucial push, helping him take the initial lead. But Talladega rarely follows a script. Sawalich, with Carson Kvapil tucked behind, surged back, setting the tone for a day of relentless position swapping and tactical alliances.
Three laps in, Love managed to clear Sawalich, but the outside lane—powered by Sawalich and Kvapil—roared back. A third lane, spearheaded by Sheldon Creed, briefly threatened to shake up the order before fading as the middle collapsed. By lap five, it was Sawalich and Kvapil out front, but Love and his teammate Hill were never far behind.
The race’s first major incident came on lap 15. A multi-car wreck—triggered when Creed got turned from fifth—collected Brenden Queen, Brandon Jones, Harrison Burton, Jeb Burton, Jordan Anderson, Ryan Sieg, Sam Mayer, Anthony Alfredo, and Jeremy Clements. The crash forced a red flag for wall repairs, giving teams a moment to regroup and strategize. Taylor Gray, Connor Zilisch, and a host of others ducked into the pits, with Zilisch emerging in 15th for the restart.
Once the race resumed, Nick Sanchez and Hill lined up on the front row. Hill and Love quickly reclaimed the front, but Talladega’s trademark three-wide racing returned with Kvapil, Zilisch, and Gray launching a third lane. As the first stage wound down, Zilisch and Justin Allgaier dropped to the bottom, setting up a dramatic battle for stage points.
By the end of stage one, it was Hill who began to assert his dominance—foreshadowing the sweep to come. The field was stacked with contenders: Allgaier, Love, Kvapil, Eckes, and Smith all in the mix, jockeying for every inch of real estate. Each caution and pit cycle shuffled the order, with Dean Thompson and Kyle Sieg briefly inheriting the lead after staying out during a round of stops.
The second stage was no less chaotic. Zilisch muscled past Love for the lead on lap 33, only for Love to strike back almost immediately. Allgaier then surged forward, engaging in a back-and-forth duel with Love that saw both drivers trade the top spot. Mechanical issues forced Gray to the garage on lap 42, while a late-stage crash involving Leland Honeyman, Zilisch, and Connor Mosack brought out another caution and red flag. Sawalich, Thompson, and Perkins sustained damage in the melee, further thinning the field of hopefuls.
As the laps ticked down, pit strategy became paramount. Allgaier and Smith led the field to green with two laps left in the stage, but Hill, ever the opportunist, powered around the outside to snatch the stage win. The playoff implications were massive, with drivers like Allgaier, Kvapil, and Love all fighting not just for the checkered flag, but for precious points in the championship hunt.
The final stage brought even more twists. Daniel Dye and Caesar Bacarella gambled by staying out, while Eckes led the charge off pit road. Dye linked up with Kvapil to push him into the lead, but Aric Almirola soon created his own lane, only for Hill to connect and challenge. The Burtons—Harrison and Jeb—briefly took command before Allgaier and Love regrouped on the high side. On lap 63, Hill made a decisive move under Allgaier for the lead, setting up his late-race heroics.
But Talladega is never short on drama. On lap 92, a collision involving Sammy Smith, Almirola, and Jeb Burton sent Almirola headfirst into the outside wall, triggering the race’s final caution and sending the event into overtime. Dye was also spun into the inside wall, while Nick Leitz picked up damage. Amid the chaos, several drivers pitted for fuel, and Smith ran dry on the track. Allgaier and Love, running second and third, also hit pit road, leaving Hill to lead the charge into overtime alongside Josh Williams.
The green-white-checkered finish was classic Talladega. Williams quickly faded as Kvapil—on fresh fuel—rocketed into the top five. Sanchez brushed the wall on the last lap, but no caution flew. Kvapil, Eckes, and Allgaier lined up in a desperate bid to chase down Hill, but the No. 21 was simply untouchable. With a final, flawless run through the tri-oval, Hill swept not just the stages, but the entire Talladega weekend, completing a season sweep in drafting track wins. It was his 10th career victory on such tracks, a testament to his knack for mastering the high-speed chess game that is pack racing.
Behind Hill, Carson Kvapil (No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) capped a superb drive with a runner-up finish, followed by Justin Allgaier (No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet) and Christian Eckes (No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet). Rounding out the top five was Caesar Bacarella, a surprise standout for Alpha Prime Racing. The rest of the top ten included Blaine Perkins, Parker Retzlaff, Leland Honeyman, Sammy Smith, and Jesse Love.
“This team just never gives up,” Hill exclaimed in Victory Lane, the satisfaction clear in his voice. “We had to fight for every position out there. Talladega is always wild, but my guys gave me a rocket ship today.” According to USA Today, Hill “held off Carson Kvapil, Christian Eckes, and Justin Allgaier to secure the victory.”
The race was a punishing test of nerves and skill, with multiple cautions, two red flags, and a host of playoff contenders caught up in incidents. Notably, Sheldon Creed, Sam Mayer, and Brandon Jones all suffered setbacks that could have major playoff implications. The full finishing order underscored the attrition: several heavy hitters, including Aric Almirola, Daniel Dye, and William Sawalich, failed to finish.
With the dust settled at Talladega, the playoff picture is coming into sharp focus. Connor Zilisch and Justin Allgaier have already advanced to the next round, while Jesse Love and Carson Kvapil sit above the cut line. Sammy Smith, Brandon Jones, Sam Mayer, and Sheldon Creed face a must-win scenario as the series heads to Martinsville Speedway next Saturday, October 25, at 16:00 ET.
The stakes couldn’t be higher as the Xfinity Series drivers prepare for their final shot at the Championship 4. After the chaos and triumph at Talladega, fans can expect more fireworks at Martinsville, where every lap—and every point—will count.