Austin Hill had an early exit from Saturday's race at Phoenix Raceway due to a move that he described as "the dumbest."
The incident occurred on a Lap 62 restart. He raced behind Sammy Smith in Turn 3 before suddenly shooting up the track and hitting Sheldon Creed. Hill then spun into the outside wall, where Dean Thompson collided with him.
The replay showed that Hill had cut the corner too much. He clipped the inside SAFER barrier, which shot him up the track. The No. 21 Chevrolet sustained race-ending damage, as did Creed's No. 00 Ford and Thompson's No. 26 Toyota.
"Couldn't see much," Hill said after exiting the infield care center. "I was right behind (Smith) getting into Turn 3 there, and I just misjudged the inside wall. That might be the dumbest move I've ever had happen to me in racing.
"Feel bad for everyone involved in the wreck. Looks like (Thompson) got in there, (Creed). Feel bad for those guys. They're innocent bystanders. It's 100% my fault. Just misjudged it on my part."
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Thompson ended the day 38th after qualifying a career-best 12th. Hill ended the day 37th. Creed finished 36th after driving his car back to pit road and passing the other two cars involved in the crash.
The replay provided a clear picture of Hill hitting the wall and collecting Creed. It did not show why Thompson shot toward the outside wall and the No. 21. He provided some more context after making his trip to the infield care center.
"It looks like I was a missile (into the incident), but I think I got punted into it," Thompson said, per Toyota Gazoo Racing North America.
The DNF only continued what has been a surprising season for Hill. He dominated at Daytona but finished 33rd due to a mechanical issue. He won the following week at Atlanta to lock up a spot in the playoffs. He then finished fourth at Circuit of the Americas before making a rare mistake behind the wheel at Phoenix.