Tag: rick ware racing

  • Timmy Hill: Doing the Rookie of the Year His Own Way

    Timmy Hill: Doing the Rookie of the Year His Own Way

    While all of the attention for this season’s Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Cup Series has focused on the battle between Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., another rookie, Timmy Hill, has been quietly competing in his own way and on his terms.

    “Going into this year, I’ve had two years of Nationwide experience and in those two years, I’ve been able to learn the race track multiple times,” Hill, driver of the No. 32 FAS Lane Racing Ford, said. “Starting the year off running for Rookie of the Year in the Cup Series, I knew it was going to be tough, as a driver and as an underdog race team with a lower budget.”

    “I knew going in that my schedule was going to consist of 18 to 20 races, with Kenny Schrader and Terry Labonte and Boris Said at the wheel for some of the other races.” Hill continued. “Our goals were to finish all the races, run as many laps as we can and along the way try to beat Danica (Patrick) and Ricky (Stenhouse Jr.) for Rookie of the Year in the races I ran.”

    “Knowing that I wasn’t going to run the full schedule, I was going to make the best of the races that I was going to run,” Hill said. “All season long, it’s been tough at some times but we feel like we’ve done a great job.”

    Although Hill has been very proud of his performance to date, he did have a tough run in last weekend’s race at Phoenix International Raceway.

    “I was kind of bragging about how we haven’t torn up any equipment and wouldn’t you know we tore one up at Phoenix, which I wasn’t very happy about,” Hill continued. “So, we’ve just had that one issue all year long and I’ve been happy with that and so has the race team.”

    “But all in all, as a team and as a driver, I’m very happy,” Hill said. “It’s been a great learning experience and I’d say we have done a good job all year long.”

    While Hill has been very pleased with his team’s performance in his rookie season, he has been a bit disappointed in not getting the recognition of the media, fans and the sport as far as running for ROTY honors.

    “I do feel forgotten sometimes when the reporters do articles about the Rookie of the Year battle without mentioning me,” Hill said. “We knew it would be a long shot for us to have a shot at it but we ran every bit of the races that would qualify us for the Rookie of the Year.”

    “It’s kind of a letdown, to myself, the race team and the sponsors just because a smaller team like us could have used the attention, press and publicity to try to build our program,” Hill continued. “To not be mentioned and forgotten about is kind of a letdown.”

    While Hill may have been disappointed as far as the ROTY mention, he has felt completely fortunate and blessed to have learned many lessons in his rookie season, on the track and from his fellow competitors.

    “I’ve learned so much,” Hill said. “Running in the lower divisions and then the Nationwide Series, I’ve learned how long these races are and how you really have to be there at the end of the race.”

    “Those extra laps really teach you patience.”

    “You have to gain the respect of the other drivers on the race track,” Hill continued. “You have to run around them for 400 to 500 laps every weekend and when you are racing that close you really have to trust because any small movement can lead to ultimately changing someone’s race.”

    “I was the new kid on the block,” Hill said. “Running with these guys, I’ve learned that they are all really great drivers and there is a lot of talent there.”

    “It made it a heck of a lot tougher racing-wise because they are all at the Cup level for a reason,” Hill continued. “You just have to realize that you are among some great drivers and you really have to be on it each weekend.”

    “You always have to keep working on your race car because they are very smart and always pick up the pace,” Hill said. “It’s almost like a big chess match and you just have to keep after it.”

    Hill has also had to learn how to compete in his own way through effective communication with his crew chief, as well as how to best relate what was happening on the track to his team.

    “I have a rare situation where my crew chief is actually the owner of the race team,” Hill said. “Frankie Stoddard has been around the sport for years and has had a lot of success.”

    “I’ve had to talk about the car and he’s been able to change the way I’ve been saying thing,” Hill continued. “The first race is always tough with the crew chief/driver relationship in just defining how we talk about the car.”

    “As soon as we got on the same page as far as the adjustment levels, it is easy after that,” Hill said. “We learned that pretty quick and we worked well this whole season.”

    Hill has also learned a great deal from the drivers off track, especially those veterans that he has looked up to his whole racing life. And he also credits his family for teaching him the life lessons that he has found so important as he competed for the Rookie of the Year honors for his sponsors and his team.

    “Being young, I didn’t know a lot, but there are veterans I can lean on,” Hill said. “Being at this level, you have to make appearances and conduct yourself well all the time.”

    “I like to base my actions off some of the veteran drivers like Carl Edwards and Mark Martin,” Hill continued. “I like the path that they have taken themselves on and use them as a role model.”

    “I’d also like to thank my family for raising me the right way.”

    Unfortunately, Hill’s last race in his rookie season was at Phoenix as Kenny Schrader will be taking the wheel of the No. 32 for the Homestead Cup finale. Hill will, however, be competing in the Nationwide race for one last time in 2013.

    “I got an opportunity to drive the No. 23 car for Rick Ware Racing, who used to be the team owner for me in Nationwide,” Hill said. “He’s given me a lot of chances which I cannot thank him enough for.”

    “So, I’m very happy and very blessed to run the final race of the year, even if it is Nationwide and not Cup, on a track I really like.”

    So, after completing his rookie season in the Cup Series, what does Hill have planned for 2014?

    “As far as my 2014 plans, we’re working up to that,” Hill said. “It is only a few months away but it seems like awhile before the plans will come together.”

    “It’s a lengthy process but I have plans to hopefully be able to achieve even more.”

    While Hill finalizes his plans for the next season, he also has interesting plans for his off season.

    “Last off season I went to flight school,” Hill said.” I got my pilot’s license last year.”

    “There are different types of pilot certificates and right now I have what’s called a visual flight certificate, meaning I can fly based off of visual,” Hill continued. “I want to go for IFR, or instrument rating, so I can fly into weather and into clouds.”

    “So, I’ll be able to fly more often and not be as limited,” Hill said. “That’s what I want to look into for this off season.”

    For more information about Timmy Hill’s rookie season and his future plans, follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @timmyhillracer.

     

  • One on One with Jeffrey Earnhardt

    One on One with Jeffrey Earnhardt

    At first glance, he doesn’t stand out in a crowd. You might wonder who this young man is as he signs autographs and talks with his fans. His smile is reminiscent of someone familiar.

    He straps into his race car and the easy going demeanor is replaced by one of determination and Jeffrey Earnhardtfocus. The unflinching resolve in his eyes is immediately recognizable when you realize that this is Dale Earnhardt’s grandson.

    Jeffrey Earnhardt began racing when he was 14 years old. He got a later start than most young boys who aspire to a career in racing. His father, Kerry, wanted his son to be certain that he was making the right choice. Kerry knew better than most that his son’s journey would not be easy.

    “When I was about 12 years old, I really wanted to race,” Jeffrey told me. “It took me two years to beg my Dad into letting me do it. He wanted me to be prepared and know what would be involved.  So he made me buy my own race car, get it ready and find sponsors. Once I did that and proved it was something I was willing to put a lot of effort into, he let me do it.”

    Once the decision was made, his parents have been behind him all the way.

    His first race was in the Hornet Division on a half mile dirt track at Wythe Raceway in Virginia. He went on to score three feature wins and finished in the top five in points. Jeffrey also won the Rookie of the Year award.

    In 2006 he was part of the General Motors driver development search program. Select drivers were invited to test both a late model car and a Nationwide Series car at two different tracks. Jeffrey proved to be one of the best and moved on to the final cut.

    The following year he progressed to the NASCAR Camping World East Series (now NASCAR K&N Pro Series East). He finished the season in fifth place in the points standings and won the Most Popular Driver award. In 2008, Jeffrey ran 11 races in the series with four top-five and six top-10 finishes.

    Over the next three years, he ran a variety of races getting as much seat time as possible competing in the Nationwide Series, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

    In 2010 Jeffrey began his partnership with Rick Ware Racing and was scheduled to run a full season in the Camping World Truck Series in 2011. However, because of sponsorship issues, he was only able to run five races.

    In 2012, Jeffrey’s emphasis has been on the Nationwide Series program.  He has competed at Bristol, Talladega and Daytona. He’s looking forward to his next scheduled race which will be in Indianapolis for the Indy 250 on July 28th.

    “I’m excited to be going to Indianapolis the first year that the Nationwide Series is running on the big track,” Jeffrey said. “It should be a lot of fun.”

    The team also plans to run at Charlotte later this year and end the season at Homestead. The goal for next year is to run full time in the Nationwide Series.

    Jeffrey feels that he is gaining momentum and says that he is “very hopeful for next year and I think we’ll be able to pull something together and contend for Rookie of the Year next season.”

    While growing up as an Earnhardt has probably opened some doors for Jeffrey, he has worked diligently to take advantage of those opportunities. Nothing has been given to him and he has fought hard every step of the way. But, he’s not complaining.

    “When you go out and work hard for something you appreciate it a lot more. You’re a better person and a better driver in the long run.”

    What has all the hard work taught him?

    “I think I’ve become more patient and I’m better at putting myself in the right position to win races,” he said.

    Before we ended the interview, I talked to Jeffrey about his famous grandfather and he shared a couple of his favorite memories.

    One of his most cherished moments was watching Dale Earnhardt win the Daytona 500 in 1998. Jeffrey describes him as a complex man who could be intimidating both on and off the track. But he could also just as easily be your best friend and had a soft side that a lot of people didn’t see.

    I couldn’t help but smile as he told me that Earnhardt would not let Jeffrey call him “PaPa Dale” because that made him feel too old.

    “He said I had to call him Mr. Earnhardt or he wouldn’t answer me,” Jeffrey told me.

    The Earnhardt name is a legacy that Jeffrey is proud of but he is also determined to prove that he can make it on his own terms.

    “I respect everything that my last name means and everything my grandfather has done but at the same time, I want to be my own man. I want to do things my way and make my own path. “

  • Defying the Odds: Timmy Hill Wins Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year

    Defying the Odds: Timmy Hill Wins Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year

    For much of the season, the focus was on the big teams – Roush-Fenway Racing, Kevin Harvick Incorporated, Turner Motorsports and others. Though at the other end, there were teams out there fighting to run strong week-in-and-week-out to accomplish their goals.

    [media-credit name=”timmyhill15.com” align=”alignright” width=”237″][/media-credit]Rick Ware Racing was one of those teams and at the end of the year, they accomplished their main goal. They ended the season with Timmy Hill winning Nationwide Rookie of the Year.

    “I can’t thank this team enough,” Hill said. “When it was crunch time, they pulled through. They have done it all year with our back against the wall!”

    It was a season full of hurdles with lots of lessons being learned along the way.

    “Previously before Nationwide, I’ve run short races at local half mile tracks,” the 18-year-old said in a phone interview. “In the NASCAR Nationwide Series, most of the races are about 300 miles long so I had to learn to pace myself throughout a race, knowing that the race was long and you got to be there at the finish to get those good finishes. So I’ve learned I’ve got to pace myself and be there at the end.”

    The driver of the No. 15 Poynt Ford had his fair share of struggles, though also had times during the season that stood out. An 11th place finish at Road American would mark Hill’s best finish of the season.

    Competing against the veterans of the Nationwide Series would be enough to intimidate a new driver. Though on top of that, there are some Sprint Cup Series regulars who would come run some Nationwide Series races.

    “I feel like with those guys, it gives you something to shoot for,” Hill said of the cup drivers. “At the same time, it makes it kind of tough because it’s hard for the new guys, like myself, to try and shine when these superstars come down to the Nationwide Series and take all the spotlight.”

    One of those Sprint Cup regulars who run the Nationwide Series, Carl Edwards, is whom Hill considers his racing hero.

    “One thing that stood out to me is he’s always a nice guy,” Hill said. “He always the guy that I wanted to attire myself after because he’s always clean on the race track, good driver, good with the fans; that’s the guy that I always try to patter myself after.”

    Hill began racing at the age of nine in go-karts.

    “Previously, my dad used to race through the 90s and the early 2000s,” he said. “I always wanted to do it growing up ever since I was a little kid. I kept bugging my dad over and over again. He finally let me drive a go-kart and I just got hooked right away.”

    Racing in go-karts in 2005, Hill won over 80 races and multiple championships, including two World Karting Association (WKA) championships. Hill then began the moving his way up the ladder from the Bandoleros to Legends to Allison Legacy Series to the ARCA Racing Series, and lastly the K&N Pro Series in 2010.

    The transition from the Allison Legacy Series to NASCAR Nationwide Series racing marked a big step for the young driver.

    “The Allison Legacy Cars and the smaller cars, they race on the half-mile tracks, like Bristol,” he said. “You go to a mile-and-a-half and these faster tracks, it’s a whole different ball game and it’s like starting over, so to speak. You have to learn everything over. Basically what comes into play is all the aerodynamics and you got to pay attention to what’s going on as you see a lot of different things than the short tracks.”

    To go with the races being longer as you move up, Hill stresses the element to drivers trying to get into the higher ranks.

    “A lot of times you see the guys that they only have a couple races that they get to run,” he said. “They go out, try too hard and end up taking them self early so they don’t get time to learn or time to shine. “So the biggest thing is these races are long, pace yourself and be there at the end.”

    Hill says for next year, he is looking to consistently get good finishes to finish top-10 in points.

    “At the beginning of this year, I had to learn all the tracks and the ins-and-outs of the series and it took me awhile to get going,” he said. “Next season, our main goal is to go out and get good finishes; top-15 finishes are what we’re looking for every week and to be there. Our goal for the points is to finish in the top 10 in driver’s points and top 10 in owner’s points.”

  • Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Timmy Hill Both Pursue Nationwide Dreams

    Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., driver of the No. 6 Blackwell Angus/Cargill Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Racing, and Timmy Hill, behind the wheel of No. 15 Poynt.com Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing, have more than just driving for the same manufacturer in common.

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”237″][/media-credit]Both young, up and coming drivers are pursuing their NASCAR dreams, one for a Nationwide championship and the other for the youngest ever Nationwide Rookie of the Year title.

    Stenhouse Jr., who won the Nationwide ROTY honors last year, is 23 years old while Hill is just 18 years of age, with his highest achievement being the Allison Legacy Series Championship.

    For Stenhouse, the achievement of the NASCAR Nationwide championship would be a dream come true.

    “It would mean a lot,” Stenhouse said. “It would definitely be my biggest accomplishment ever in my racing career.”

    “After the way last year went, struggling so bad the first part of the year and turning it around at the end of the year, it really makes you appreciate where we are right now as a race team,” Stenhouse continued.

    “We came into the year thinking that we were gonna be able to run for it and now that we’ve got six races left and have a shot at it, it’s exactly where we need to be.”

    Similarly for Hill, the Nationwide Rookie of the Year title would be just as good as the championship would be to Stenhouse, Jr. And if he won those coveted rookie honors, Hill would make history as the youngest ROTY at the tender age of 18 years.

    “It would be awesome for me to be the youngest one to do it,” Hill said. “We just hoped at this time in the year to have a shot at the Rookie of the Year and everything has worked out.”

    “We’re leading now by just two points.”

    For both drivers, achieving their respective dreams will be tough, especially with the level of competition. Stenhouse, Jr. is battling veteran Elliott Sadler, driver of the No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet, for the Nationwide title, while Hill is battling Blake Koch, driver of the No. 81 DayStar.com Dodge, for the ROTY honors.

    “I think you have to be on your game,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “You have to go out and try to win because Elliott Sadler is not gonna finish outside of the top 10.”

    “So, you’ve got to do something better to beat him in this championship.”

    “It’s close,” Hill echoed. “Blake has been right there and we’ve been right beside each other almost every race.”

    “It’s a real tight battle, but hopefully we can hang on to it,” Hill continued. “We hope to finish that deal out.”

    Both dream chasing drivers share a very similar background, having started in go-kart racing, as well as continuing through the ARCA ReMax Racing Series. Hill, in particular, has racing in his blood from watching his father, Jerry Hill, race in the Truck Series for many years.

    “My dad ran Truck Series and the Busch Series back then, Nationwide Series now,” Hill said. “He ran a full season of Trucks in 2003 and that was his last season.”

    “I kept bugging him when I was a kid that I wanted to race,” Hill continued. “Finally he said OK and he put me in a go kart and let me try it out.”

    “The first race, I loved it and I was instantly hooked.”

    One interesting thing that the two drivers on their dream quests share, however, is actually a person. Both have ties to Cup Chase contender Carl Edwards.

    For Stenhouse, Jr. his tie to Carl is that of teammates both seeking a championship. As Stenhouse chases the Nationwide championship, he is also cognizant of getting Edwards, in the No. 60 Fastenal Ford, the owner championship for Jack Roush.

    “Jamie Allison from Ford came in this week and we’ve got a lot of things going,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “We’re obviously going for the driver’s championship.”

    “We’ve got to get Carl the owner’s championship and then we’ve got to get Ford the manufacturer’s championship,” Stenhouse continued. “Ford is putting a lot of effort into it and we’ve got a lot of things to accomplish this year and I think we can do it as a race team.”

    For Hill, Carl Edwards is not teammate but hero.

    “A guy I like to pattern myself after is Carl Edwards,” Hill said. “He handles himself real well and I like the way he treats his fans.”

    “Almost everything he does I like to pattern myself after.”

    The two young up and comers also share one unfortunate aspect to their careers. They both are uncertain of what their future holds.

    “Right now, my biggest focus is this Nationwide championship,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “I think I’ve always said after running a couple of years in Nationwide I would like to run maybe a partial schedule or something just to kind of get my feet wet.”

    “But I don’t want to jump into things too quick.”

    “I may go to college next year,” Hill said, who just graduated high school. “I just want to focus on racing. I just want to keep my focus right now on the Rookie of the Year battle.”

    So, for now, both Stenhouse, Jr. and Hill realize that the road to achieving their dreams runs straight through the Monster Mile at Dover this weekend. Not unexpectedly, both drivers are confident that they will conquer the concrete track.

    “For us, every time I’ve come to Dover, we’ve had a better finish,” Stenhouse, Jr. said. “We finished fourth the last race here and had a really fast Mustang.”

    “I think, obviously, we’ll have a good race here.”

    “This is my second time here since the spring race,” Hill said. “So, we’ve got the experience and we’ve got the feel.”

    “The banking and the way it drops off makes it a monster,” Hill continued. “It’s a wild ride.”

     

  • One-On-One with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Jeffrey Earnhardt

    One-On-One with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Jeffrey Earnhardt

    With the last name Earnhardt, everybody automatically expects you to do well, once you hit the track. That’s no exception with Jeffrey Earnhardt as there are already the predictions hitting the floor.

    [media-credit name=”Flickr” align=”alignright” width=”248″][/media-credit]He came out of the gate with a top 10 at Daytona and went to Phoenix and finished 19th. While everybody is looking for this success, he right now is set on learning lessons and moving forward with them.

    While preparing for Darlington this weekend, he took some time to answer some questions for the readers.

    Ashley McCubbin: What are some of your thoughts on the year so far?

    Jeffrey Earnhardt: So far, I’ve had a pretty good season starting off. We finished seventh at Daytona and we finished 19th at Phoenix – didn’t have the best shot, but we ran it right to the end of the race and we didn’t have a single scratch on the truck. Anytime you can finish out a race like that it’s definitely progress. We’re just slowly working on making our entire program better. We’re just waiting for everything to fall into place to run upfront, but for now it’s just having everything work in order, giving the feedback and getting the seat time to learn these trucks.

    AM: How’d you get involved with Rick Ware Racing?

    JE: Well, I guess it was like two or three years ago, I got the opportunity to drive some Nationwide races for him. We went to Dover and tried to make the race and ended up not making the race, but that’s when I first met him. This opportunity came about to do five races and obviously the five races last year led to a full season this year.

    AM: What are some of your expectations for this year?

    JE: Just the seat time. We want to go out here and run the best we can, but also we want to go out and learn as much as we can with finishing races. I mean, if we do that then I don’t see why we can’t be competiting to win rookie of the year. There’s definitely a possibility as we’ll see how the year goes and where it takes us, but to start, it’s just to get as much seat time and just go from there.

    AM: Speaking of lessons, what are some of the lessons you’ve learned so far this year?

    JE: Just to get to the finish and figure out what the truck needed and if you do that, you’ll come out in one piece and if you’ll have a decent finish. Even though you’re getting the finishes, you got to understand that you’re still learning and probably the biggest thing I’ve learned is to be there at the finish.

    AM: What are some of your thoughts going into Darlington?

    JE: I actually just rode around with Todd Bodine in a pace truck and it is quite a strange track. It’s got totally different corners and seems to be a tough track as we talked about how he did, how tough it is and how easy it is to take yourself out of the race. It seems that’s the toughest part, just getting used to the track, but not stepping over that boundary.

    AM: With the last name Earnhardt, there are a lot of expectations. Care to share any thoughts on that?

    JE: There’s a lot of expectation and a lot of pressure that gets put on you. It’s just that you got to learn how to deal with it and if you can handle it the right way, you’ll be fine and I think I’ve done a pretty good job of not letting it get to me. Just doing my thing and I’m just here to learn and be a racecar driver and I try not to worry about all that.

    AM: Which race track are you looking forward to?

    JE: I look forward to all of them. I mean, I’m looking forward to go doing to Dover for simple fact I ran good there before and I think we can get out of there with a successful run. I mean, I look forward to each and every race and each race I am just as excited as the next one and there’s really no special one I’m really look forward to.

    AM: Where do you see yourself in five years?

    JE: I would like to be up in the Cup level. Obviously, my goal is too potentially to end up at that level and five years from now I should be there. And hopefully won a championship in one of the three NASCAR series, whether Nationwide or Truck, but I’d like to be at the Cup level in five years.

    AM: What is your advice for other people getting into racing?

    JE: Just don’t ever give up. It’s tough and it’s not as easy as some people may think. If you really want it bad enough, you can get it accomplished. You just gotta really stick to it and push hard to get what you want. It may seem tough and you may want to get down, but if you push hard enough, eventually you’ll get it and the reward is definitely worth the wait.

    AM: Who do you admire outside of racing?

    JE: Johnny Cash was definitely a good one for me just because he was his own man and he was just kind of a man’s kind of man and more of that kind of person, but I know, really, I’ve just always been in racing and never really worried about anything else. I’ve been around racing my entire life and haven’t really cared about watching anything else.