Austin Hill to lose crew chief for elimination race
As Austin Hill sits narrowly above the cutline, heading into the ultimate do-or-die race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs, he won’t have his regular crew chief on the pit box.
NASCAR suspended crew chief Andy Street for the Xfinity Series race Saturday at Martinsville Speedway.
In post-race tech inspection at Homestead-Miami Speedway, officials found Austin Hill’s left front tire had two loose lugnuts.
The finding prompted a $10,000 fine and a one-race suspension for Street.
Since Austin Hill moved up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series last year, Street has been his crew chief in every race.
Now, as Hill sits fourth in the playoff standings, just +3 points to Justin Allgaier, the first driver below the cutline, he will be without Street for the first time.
The Dead-On Tools 250 at Martinsville goes green just after 3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Heading into the race, the points are as follows:
- Sam Mayer: WIN
- John Hunter Nemechek (+44)
- Cole Custer (+3)
- Austin Hill (+3)
- Justin Allgaier (3110 pts, -3)
- Sammy Smith (-49)
- Chandler Smith (-54)
- Sheldon Creed (-65)
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com