Shane Van Gisbergen has sparked new controversy in the NASCAR Xfinity Series by alleging that Austin Hill threatened retaliation during a tense meeting with officials before the Atlanta round. The collision follows a dramatic incident at Chicagoland, where van Gisbergen’s contact with Hill’s #33 machine on lap 47 sent Hill into the wall and out of the race, rekindling the hostilities between the two drivers.
NASCAR’s intervention came swiftly, with both Van Gisbergen and Hill called in for discussions with officials on Saturday, July 11. Describing the meeting to journalist Steven Taranto, Van Gisbergen described a fraught atmosphere, revealing that Hill’s attitude changed dramatically as the meeting ended. “There were strange dynamics in the meeting and it also ended in a strange way,” Van Gisbergen said, highlighting the rising tensions. “I think what’s cool about this game is you can sort it out yourself and then I think it gets to that point. For me it’s at that point, but for him it’s not. He’s the kind of personality, I think, who feels he has to have the last laugh or the last blow. And he felt threatened, I think.”
Despite the volatility, Van Gisbergen made it clear he is determined to avoid further increases, reaffirming his commitment to clean racing. “But yeah, it is what it is. I’ll try to run clean and do my job, but I think he’s got his own agenda… I know where I stand with it, I want to move forward. But that’s not the point,” he explained, indicating a desire to draw a line under the feud.
The Chicagoland clash has drawn scrutiny across the paddock, with team owner Richard Childress accusing Van Gisbergen of seeking revenge over earlier confrontations. Under the caution, Hill escalated the dispute by slamming the door of Van Gisbergen’s car. In response, Van Gisbergen insisted that he did not intentionally destroy Hill, deliberately attempting to distance himself from any notion of retaliation.
Addressing the broken relationship, Van Gisbergen accepted the challenge of rebuilding trust on track. Following recent events, he underlined the need for mutual respect, even from ground zero. “To my point, we’re obviously at ground zero, okay? So I’ve got to race with respect and try and start building it up, try and cut his brakes. If it doesn’t go my way, I don’t know how to fix that. But I’ll just try to move forward and continue to race clean.”
Despite the high-profile nature of the incident, NASCAR confirmed earlier this week that no penalties would be issued to Van Gisbergen or Hill for their actions at Chicagoland.
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