Richard Childress Racing (RCR) has chosen NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship contender, Austin Hill, to pilot the No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the remaining 22 races of the NASCAR Cup Series campaign.
In his first public remarks since the passing of Kyle Busch on May 21, Richard Childress, the owner and patriarch of the championship-winning team, confirmed that Hill will be taking over the re-numbered second NASCAR Cup Series entry.
Hill is a 23-time winner across NASCAR’s National Series – winning 15 races in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and eight in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The Winston, Georgia-native has spent the last two weeks piloting the No. 33 at Charlotte and Nashville, finishing 27th, twice.
RELATED: RCR Planned to Announce Contract Extension with Kyle Busch at Michigan
“We talked about it, and we decided that Austin Hill was who we needed to put in it at this time,” said Childress, owner of the No. 3 and No. 33 in the NASCAR Cup Series. “Right now, we’re looking at the rest of the season, and our sponsors have been great to work with through all of this – just like we had with Dale [Earnhardt in 2001], the sponsors worked really well for us in that loss.”
Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway will mark the 20th NASCAR Cup Series start for Hill, who has been running part-time at NASCAR’s top-level since joining Richard Childress Racing in 2022. In those starts, Hill has a best finish of tenth at the Chicago Street Course in 2025.
“For right now, Austin is going to drive, as far as we’re concerned, the rest of the year. We don’t want to put a burden on everybody trying to go from one driver to another.”
Kyle Busch drove the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro in the opening 12 NASCAR Cup Series events of 2026, before his unexpected passing due to severe pneumonia which progressed into sepsis on May 21. Richard Childress Racing elected to change the number to the No. 33 and have put Hill in the car ever since.
Photo Credit: Harold Hinson Photography
