Freddie Kraft sends warning to Austin Hill after middle-finger salute to NASCAR fans at Talladega

Austin Hill took the checkered flag in this past Sunday’s Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. The story coming out of the race was not that he won, but what he did immediately after.

Hill was seen flipping the middle finger to fans in the grandstands. Hill’s gesture was in response to a group of fans doing the same. Freddie Kraft, spotter for Bubba Wallace and the No. 23 team, has known Hill for a long time. He is hopeful Hill can get his attitude “back on the rails” for the betterment of his NASCAR career.

“I’ve known this kid a long time. I like him a lot,” Kraft said on Monday’s Door Bumper Clear podcast. “It’s something that I hope he can get it back on the rails because this is not gonna fly in the Cup Series. He’s not gonna be winning anywhere near this often in the Cup Series I don’t think. He’s inevitably going to get in one of those RCR cars I would assume. But it’s just sh*t like this you can’t have happen.

“I get it, you’re pissed off at this one guy, but now you’re driving by and there’s a 100 percent chance some little kid saw that and looked at his dad and went, ‘Why is this guy giving us the middle finger?'”

Austin Hill avoids fine from NASCAR

NASCAR had no penalties to report Wednesday, meaning the driver of the RCR No. 21 Chevrolet is officially in the clear and won’t be fined. That result is exactly what the instigating NASCAR fan wanted. X user Dr. Chimp‘s original post is what kicked off the controversy in the first place, showing Hill firing a middle-finger salute straight to the camera.

I got him this time 🖕😂 https://t.co/VD7x1gZX0f pic.twitter.com/4sPEOziymh

— Dr. Chimp 🐵 (@TheDrChimp) October 18, 2025

In a follow-up post on Oct. 19th, the same X user clarified the Hill situation:

“To clarify some context to the picture:
Yes he flipped us off
Yes we did it first
Yes we thought it was hilarious
No he shouldn’t be punished
I respect the gesture and it adds to the needed personality the field needs
I may hate him, but I love to hate him cuz that’s sports”

Hill will move forward and focus on the final two races of the 2025 season. Talladega was his fourth win of the season and third on a superspeedway.