Richard Childress Accuses Shane van Gisbergen of Intentional Wreck at Chicagoland
· Yahoo Sports
Richard Childress didn’t mince words after Austin Hill’s race unraveled during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Chicagoland Speedway.
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Following contact between Hill and Shane van Gisbergen that ended Hill’s day, the Richard Childress Racing owner accused van Gisbergen of deliberately causing the incident, claiming it was retaliation for an earlier run-in between the two drivers.
The accusation quickly became one of the biggest storylines unfolding during Sunday’s race.
Richard Childress Believes Shane van Gisbergen Wrecked Austin Hill on Purpose
As Hill climbed from his damaged No. 21 Chevrolet after the crash, his radio traffic reflected immediate frustration inside the Richard Childress Racing camp.
According to Jeff Gluck of The Athletic, Childress was heard over the team radio saying:
“Yep, it was just payback for California.”
Moments later, Childress doubled down.
“Somebody talk to NASCAR about that. That was blatant.”
It was later reported that Childress remained convinced the move was intentional, adding another pointed comment over the radio:
“That was on purpose from California.”
The comments stem from an earlier incident involving Hill and van Gisbergen this season, with Childress believing Sunday’s contact was retaliation.
Hill’s spotter and crew also worked to calm the situation immediately after the crash, urging the driver to think about the bigger picture rather than retaliate while the race remained under caution.
Austin Hill Leaves Any Potential Penalty Up to NASCAR
Speaking with reporters after climbing from his car, Hill didn’t directly accuse van Gisbergen of intentionally wrecking him, but he made it clear he believed the replay spoke for itself.
“I’m sure y’all seen the replay, so if I have to explain it, people probably need to get glasses,” Hill said when asked about the incident.
When asked directly whether he believed it was payback, Hill replied simply:
“I have no idea.”
Hill also declined to call for a penalty himself.
“If there’s definitive evidence, so I’m gonna leave it in NASCAR’s hands.”
NASCAR has not announced whether it plans to review the incident. Regardless of any potential action, the damage was already done for Richard Childress Racing. Hill was officially out of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race after the crash, while the controversy surrounding the incident is likely to continue well after the checkered flag.