Richard Childress Racing has put another piece in place for the 2026 O'Reilly Auto Parts Series season. The team has confirmed the return of Austin Hill.
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According to a Friday announcement, Hill will return to the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro for the fifth consecutive season. He will continue his pursuit of a championship after finishing a career-best fourth in the championship standings in 2024.
The Bennett Family of Companies will also return to support Hill while continuing a multi-year partnership with Richard Childress Racing. The Georgia-based company has been Hill's anchor partner since he joined the championship-winning team in 2022.
Photo credit: Richard Childress Racing
"We've built something special both on and off the track with Bennett Transportation and Logistics," Hill said in a press release. "Thank you to Marcia, Lynette, and everyone at Bennett Family of Companies for their partnership and friendship over the years.
"It means a lot to have their support, as well as the support of Richard Childress, Danny Lawrence and everyone at Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines as I continue to grow in my career."
The Georgia native has achieved success every season in the No. 21 Chevrolet. He has won 14 total races and posted three consecutive four-win seasons. He has finished sixth or better in the championship standings in all four seasons with Richard Childress Racing.
Hill has particularly achieved success at NASCAR's various drafting tracks. He has three wins at Daytona International Speedway, five wins at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta), and two wins at Talladega Superspeedway.
Hill's signing completes the Richard Childress Racing lineup for the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series. The team announced in October 2025 that Jesse Love, now a NASCAR champion, will return to the No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro.
Love will continue to have Whelen Engineering as his anchor partner as he tries to defend his title. This will mark his third season driving the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet.
"I'm proud to continue my relationship with Richard Childress Racing and Whelen Engineering and look forward to building upon our already strong foundation," Love said in an October press release.
"Whelen's strong commitment to motorsports is unmatched. Thank you to Sonny, Geoff, Peter, and everyone at Whelen for their faith in me. My goal is to go out and win races and championships for RCR and Whelen."
