Austin Hill wins Xfinity Series opening race at Daytona

Austin Hill celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — It wasn’t the Daytona 500, but Austin Hill gladly took the win.

Hill won the Xfinity Series season-opening race Saturday night for the second consecutive year to diminish some of the sting the Richard Childress Racing driver felt two days earlier when he failed to qualify for the Daytona 500.

Hill rebounded and drove from last to first at Daytona International Speedway.

The Chevrolet driver was declared the winner after a long NASCAR review of the finishing order.

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