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'Frustrated' NASCAR Driver Says He's Protesting Saturday's Race

Originally posted on The Spun | By Kameron Duncan | Last updated Apr 26, 2025 7:57 PM ET

Austin Hill won Saturday's Xfinity Series race at Talladega, but his victory was not without controversy. Hill won by .0001 seconds - the smallest margin possible - and second-place finisher Jeb Burton believes he was robbed of a victory.

NASCAR ruled that Hill's No. 21 car was in front of Burton's No. 27 and Jesse Love's No. 2 on Saturday afternoon, a decision that Burton was clearly not happy with after the race.

“Every angle I keep seeing, we win the race. Just frustrated with that, maybe they can give us a different angle here. I don’t know what’s so complicated, we’re gonna protest, do whatever the hell we can do because I think we won this race,” Burton said after the event ended.

Jeb Burton, Jesse Love, Austin Hill all parked on the front stretch waiting for NASCAR to make a decision on who the winner is pic.twitter.com/nkKuT70bOi
— BrakeHard (@BrakeHardBlog) April 26, 2025

“We don’t have a lot of chances to win, you know? That's what's frustrating."

Burton explained that, in his mind, he was ahead of both Love and Hill on the last-lap caution, and because of that, should have been named the victor.

“I feel like from the angles I keep seeing. We won the race. … Before we leave here today, I’m going to see proof, because what I keep seeing on the TV screen doesn’t look like we lost the race”

Jeb Burton disagrees with the final call that had Austin Hill as the winner… pic.twitter.com/hjscYJUTzR
— Dalton Hopkins (@PitLaneCPT) April 26, 2025

"I thought we did everything we could ... just frustrated. I feel like when the caution was put out, I was ahead of the 21," he reiterated after the race.

I don't see the 21 ahead of me at all. I don't know what we're looking at, because that angle there, we won that race."

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JULY 20: Austin Hill, driver of the #21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 20, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Burton, the son of former NASCAR driver Ward and nephew of Jeff, was looking for his third career win in the Xfinity Series at Talladega. The 32-year-old driver has won at the track twice before, recording his only two Xfinity Series victories at the track.

The win is Austin Hill's third this season, as he took the second race of the season at Atlanta as well as the late March race in Martinsville. Hill's win moves him up to third in the Xfinity Series standings, where he trails leader Justin Allgaier and runner-up Sam Mayer.

Hill, Burton and the rest of the drivers in the Xfinity Series will look to take home a victory when they head to Texas Motor Speedway next week. Fans can tune in to the Andy's Frozen Custard 300 on Saturday May 3 at 2 PM ET on the CW.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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