BIG CRASH ON LAP ONE IN THE XFINITY RACE!#NASCAR | USA Network pic.twitter.com/5u2SAmpziV
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 23, 2024
Austin Hill, who has three career wins at Daytona International Speedway in his NASCAR Xfinity Series career, will not add a fourth win at Daytona to his record on Friday night in the Wawa 250.
Hill was set to roll from the second starting spot in Friday night’s race, but a faulty team radio delayed his entry onto the race track. As he got back onto the track, Hill was working on dropping to the drop of the pack when disaster struck as he was one of seven cars swept up in a multi-car melee on the opening lap of the race.
The accident in Turn 3 was triggered by a bump draft from Jeffrey Earnhardt, which sent Jeremy Clements spinning out. As Clements skidded back up onto the racing surface, cars scattered trying to miss him.
When that happened, several, including Hill, were sent spinning. As Hill was spinning, he was t-boned by Ryan Ellis in the driver-side door.
The drivers involved in the lap 1 incident included Gus Dean, Hill, Earnhardt, Blaine Perkins, Akinori Ogata, Ellis, and Clements.
The crash spelled the end of the race for Dean, Ellis, and Ogata, and Hill after clearing minimum speed, took his No. 21 car to the garage on Lap 12. His No. 21 team is still making repairs in the garage in hopes of returning to the track.
