Prior to the start of Friday night’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Zero Carbon Bioethanol 150 at Phoenix Raceway, the fans were treated to quite the pre-race command from a familiar face.
Austin Hill, 8-time Truck Series winner, stood alongside his three children as they delivered the most famous words in motorsports prior to the green flag of Friday night’s race.
“Drivers, start your engines.”
Hill is a father of three with his wife, Ashlyn. The couple’s two daughters, Lynnlee and Kensley, and their son, Barrett, got the ultimate thrill of giving the command with their dad for the Craftsman Truck Series race at Phoenix.
Austin Hill, Kids Have Heartwarming Moment at Phoenix
Rarely do current full-time NASCAR drivers give the command prior to the race. On Friday night at Phoenix, it was one of those rare exceptions as Hill and his children delivered an exuberant “Drivers, start your engines.”
Hill made the most out of giving the command. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series X account posted a clip of the command, writing:
“Now THAT is a command, @_AustinHill !”
It was a feel-good moment and gave fans an opportunity to see the family side of Hill instead of who they know behind the wheel.
Kaden Honeycutt won Friday night’s Craftsman Truck Series race at Phoenix, extending his points lead to 39 over Layne Riggs with just three races to go. The race only saw two cautions, one for the end of Stage 1 and the other for debris, which ultimately ended up being the stage caution.
Talladega, Martinsville, and Homestead are the final three races remaining in the 2026 Craftsman Truck Series season. Honeycutt, driver of the No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota, is seeking his first championship and the second straight for Tricon.
Tricon won the title last year with Corey Heim, who won a record-breaking 12 victories in the 2025 season.
Austin Hill Set For First Full-Time Cup Series Slate in 2027
On Memorial Day weekend of this year, Austin Hill was put in one of the toughest positions imaginable in NASCAR.
After the sudden passing of two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch on May 21, Hill was tapped to drive the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, just three days after the tragedy.
Out of respect for Busch and his family, the number was changed from No. 8 to No. 33. Hill has continued to field the RCR Chevrolet in the Cup Series since.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Hill, who still competes full-time for RCR in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, will remain the driver of the No. 33 for the 2027 Cup Series season full-time.
Hill is a 16-time winner in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. The 32-year-old out of Winston, Georgia is best known for his skills on drafting tracks. Of Hill’s 16 career victories, 11 of them have come on drafting tracks.