Austin Hill Continues Daytona Dominance with O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Win

Austin Hill won the United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, taking the opening race of the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Part Series season. The win was Hill’s fourth victory at Daytona, reinforcing his dominance at the track dating back to the first win in 2022.

“It was just hammer it down and just hoping that they wouldn’t get back to me,” Hill said. “Daytona has been so good to me. I love this place. It’s always fun to win and always fun to be here in victory lane talking to you.”

Jesse Love’s No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. ⓒ Eryn Harris

With Saturday night’s win, Austin Hill now has 15 career victories in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Already he’s well on his way to a strong campaign for his first ever series championship, as his team prepares for another strong facility for Hill in week two: EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta.

Working with Hill’s No. 21 Chevrolet for much of the race was Jesse Love, his teammate at Richard Childress Racing. Love, the 2025 winner of this race, attempted to seize the victory in the night’s closing laps but was unable to match the speed of the No. 21.

“I’m still a step behind Austin,” Love remarked. “He’s so great at this craft. I feel like he’s a little more patient than I am right now, and I think that’s what my learning lesson is after tonight.”

A Big Night for Underdogs

Near-winner Brennan Poole. ⓒ Eryn Harris

Brennan Poole nearly achieved his first career victory, making a move on Hill on the backstretch of the final lap. An awkward push from Justin Allgaier instead sent him sliding up the track, and he drifted back to 12th. Jordan Anderson then gave Hill a bump with his self-owned No. 32 Chevrolet, but the move only gave Hill the surge he needed to hang onto the win.

JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier finished second, with RSS Racing’s Ryan Sieg in third. The top five was rounded out by driver/owner Jordan Anderson and JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith.

One of the field’s biggest underdogs, Ryan Ellis, drove his No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet to a sixth-place finish. It was the best finish of his 14-year career, driving mostly lesser-funded equipment. “I’m gonna try not to cry,” Ellis said after climbing from his car. “I said they were gonna learn real quick that I’m a crier.”

ⓒ Eryn Harris

Race Results

1. No. 21 – Austin Hill (Richard Childress Racing)
2. No. 7 – Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports)
3. No. 39 – Ryan Sieg (RSS Racing)
4. No. 32 – Jordan Anderson (Jordan Anderson Racing)
5. No. 8 – Sammy Smith (JR Motorsports)
6. No. 02 – Ryan Ellis (Young’s Motorsports)
7. No. 1 – Carson Kvapil (JR Motorsports)
8. No. 31 – Blaine Perkins (Jordan Anderson Racing)
9. No. 2 – Jesse Love (Richard Childress Racing)
10. No. 88 – Rajah Caruth (JR Motorsports)
11. No. 4 – Anthony Alfredo (Alpha Prime Racing)
12. No. 44 – Brennan Poole (Alpha Prime Racing)
13. No. 38 – Patrick Emerling (RSS Racing)
14. No. 99 – Parker Retzlaff (Viking Motorsports)
15. No. 28 – Kyle Sieg (RSS Racing)
16. No. 45 – Lavar Scott (Alpha Prime Racing)
17. No. 07 – Josh Bilicki (SS GreenLight Racing)
18. No. 48 – Patrick Staropoli (Big Machine Racing)
19. No. 30 – Carson Ware (Barrett-Cope Racing)
20. No. 42 – Carson Hocevar (Young’s Motorsports)
21. No. 52 – Daniel Dye (AM Racing)
22. No. 87 – Austin Green (Peterson Racing Group)
23. No. 5 – Luke Fenhaus (Hettinger Racing)
24. No. 00 – Sheldon Creed (Haas Factory Team)
25. No. 27 – Jeb Burton (Jordan Anderson Racing)
26. No. 18 – William Sawalich (Joe Gibbs Racing)
27. No. 17 – Corey Day (Hendrick Motorsports)
28. No. 54 – Taylor Gray (Joe Gibbs Racing)
29. No. 24 – Harrison Burton (Sam Hunt Racing)
30. No. 20 – Brandon Jones (Joe Gibbs Racing)
31. No. 41 – Sam Mayer (Haas Factory Team)
32. No. 51 – Jeremy Clements (Jeremy Clements Racing)
33. No. 35 – Natalie Decker (Joey Gase Motorsports)
34. No. 92 – Josh Williams (DGM Racing)
35. No. 26 – Dean Thompson (Sam Hunt Racing)
36. No. 25 – Nick Sanchez (AM Racing)
37. No. 19 – Gio Ruggiero (Joe Gibbs Racing)
38. No. 91 – Mason Maggio (DGM Racing)

ⓒ Eryn Harris