Vic Hill
Vic Hill is almost cursed by the fact that he is quite good at several things. He is an accomplished racer, having numerous Dirt Late Model wins and track championships to prove that. He is one of the top engine builders in the country, having a win in the 2014 Knoxville Dirt Late Model Nationals by Brian Birkhofer to prove that. And most recently, the Mosheim, Tenn. resident has become a top promoter in the area, having several successful Limited Late Model shows at Volunteer Speedway to prove that.
But even with his other commitments, Hill believes he will be able to race more during the 2015 season than he has over the past couple of seasons. This is primarily due to the fact that he can now delegate some of his engine building duties to other people, particularly those duties related to Lucas Oil off road truck racing that has over the past couple of years called for him to travel great distances to provide customer service.
“We’ve got the race at Bulls Gap on March 7th, obviously,” Hill says of the first definite race on his 2015 schedule. “If the weather is not real cold, I may go down to Boyd’s at the end of the month, but that just depends on the weather. I’ve got 35 or 40 races scheduled this year. The truck deal where I had to travel to every one of those last year, I’m going to be able to split those up with some other guys who work for me this year.
“I won’t have to go to all of those things which means I’ll be able to race more,” he went on. “It seemed like last year every time we had a big weekend of racing in this area, I was out in Utah or California. I hope to get to run at least 30 races this season, and probably more.”
Hill plans to be back behind the wheel of his familiar No. 1 Warrior Race Car during the coming campaign. And he believes the work he has put in throughout the off-season is about to pay dividends.
“I’ve been doing some testing that you might have seen on Facebook where somebody put the video up,” the driver explained. “I’m anxious to get out and race a little bit. It always makes you better when you race. You can plan and think but until you go put it to the test, it won’t all come together until you race.”
Vic Hill’s Warrior Race Car is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine.
As recently as the 2012 season, Hill was virtually untouchable on area tracks such as Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville and Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap. He often set fast times during qualifying for those races then went on to lead every lap and take the checkered flag. However, the wins have not been so frequent of late. Can he return to that level in the near future?
“I think so,” the racer declared. “We had to change some of the crew around last year. With the truck stuff and lack of time to really apply myself and get ready to race, it doesn’t just happen. Success doesn’t fall in your lap. You’ve got to really work at these things and be consistent at it to gain. That’s why I’ve been trying to test every time I could.”
As has been the case in recent years, Hill plans to set his schedule around events held close to home in the coming season. Many of those races will come in the Spring Nationals and Southern Nationals promoted by Ray Cook.
“I’ll run Ray’s stuff in the middle of the year,” Hill pointed out in a recent exclusive interview with InsideDirtRacing.com. “I don’t think I’ll have to be out of town for any of his spring races so I’m going to try to hit all of them as well.”
But even as he plans to race more often in 2015, other duties will trump his own racing from time to time. The former Richard Childress Racing engine builder will make the trek through Georgia and Florida during February for Speed Weeks. This annual trip will not only allow him to work with customers, but also to pick up on the tricks of the trade being used by fellow racers.
“It’s good time of year to go down and keep your nose in the thick of things in terms of the business, and you get to see some things on the cars,” Hill explained. “It’s a trip I do every year to take care of the customers I have and maybe gain another one or two.”
So what does this accomplished veteran racer still hope to achieve in his driving career?
“If I could put together a deal to win Ray’s series or something like that, I’d be content with that. I just want to be competitive and successful. The money’s great, but if we were in it for the money, we’re in the wrong business.”
