NASCAR established ahead of the 2025 season that drivers who miss a race due to non-medical reasons would lose all their playoff points earned during the regular season. The first driver to be affected by this rule is Austin Hill. The Xfinity Series driver intentionally crashed into Aric Almirola during the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and received a one-race suspension.
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Forced to miss the visit to Iowa this weekend, Hill faces a situation where he needs special approval from the sanctioning body to be a contender in the upcoming playoffs. Even if he does get a waiver, he will lose all the advantage that he had secured in the season so far with his three wins and other strong results. While some question the harshness of the penalty, Denny Hamlin thinks it’s necessary.
The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran told the press at Iowa Speedway that the penalty would deter others from committing a similar infringement. He added, “It always hurts when you are the first. The idea behind the penalty is to deter others from doing something similar to that in the same scenario. Usually, this is how it works. It just takes one driving penalty to get the field’s attention.”
“You know, the idea I think behind the penalty is to deter others from, you know, doing something similar to that in the same scenario.”
–@dennyhamlin discusses the penalty to the 21.
Presenting partner: @MyPlaceHotels pic.twitter.com/l9w3o6MSsU— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) August 2, 2025
The suspension came on top of a five-lap penalty that the promotion had levied during the race itself. On top of his mistake on track, Hill had made some derogatory remarks about NASCAR over the team radio. That would not have helped his case when the officials discussed his punishment. He has now lost 21 playoff points that he earned and the chance to earn any more.
The ruling is a result of NASCAR’s long-term effort to discourage drivers from intentionally wrecking each other. This has become a pressing issue in recent years, with major stars like Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace being involved in the past. Notably, Austin Dillon was in a similar situation last year. He was not suspended for causing wrecks, but wasn’t granted playoff eligibility despite having a win.
Drivers such as Austin Cindric and Sammy Smith have escaped suspension despite causing wrecks as well. The decision to penalize Hill shows that NASCAR views intentional wrecking as a far more serious issue now. Hill’s next race will be at Watkins Glen International on August 9.
