SPENCER HILL

Life On and Off the Track

Drivers only, What is your name?

Spencer Hill

How long have you been driving and why so long?

This year completed my 14th year as a race car driver, and my 5th year racing Sprint Cars in some capacity whether it be with or without a wing.

Who picked your number and why?

I’ve had a few different numbers throughout my racing career. My preference would be the number 4, and as I got into Micro Sprint racing years ago, I added an “S” to the 4 so that I would never have to change my number when I traveled. (In case there were any other drivers using the number 4) The number 4s has been with me since 2011, and I still sport it on my family-owned micro sprint to this day. Oddly enough, the 4s is not the number that adorned the tail tank of my car for most of 2020. I have been racing a non-winged sprint car the last few years for SEH Motorsports and have run under their longtime number 11W. that might just be the most difficult question that people ask me. I am a little unique as I have run quite a bit on both dirt and asphalt tracks, so I usually answer with my favorite on each surface. On asphalt my favorite track that I competed on was New Stockton 99 Speedway in Stockton, CA. This was a fun bullring that acted a lot like dirt, with the dominant line being up high in turns 3&4. I think this helped with my comfortability on asphalt right away.

On dirt, my favorite track is one that is non-permanent. It is the only track that operates the first week of January every year because it is within the confines of the largest freestanding building in North America. Located in Tulsa, OK the Tulsa Expo Raceway hosts the largest Micro Sprint race in the world and I am happy to say that we will be going back in a few months to fight for one of their prestigious golden driller trophies.

At what age did you first wheel any automobile by yourself?

I was 8 years old when I first got behind the wheel of a dirt oval speedway kart. Although that might seem like an early age to begin a career, I felt like I was always behind the 8 ball because many of my competitors had been racing since the age of four and five years old.

Which driver in your respective division gave you the best race you can remember? By best I mean cleanest, funnest and/or most memorable. Just name the driver.

Michael Fanelli and Travis Oldfield were a pair of drivers that gave me a very memorable race that was clean and fun. In 2019 my car owner had just passed away and my local track held a memorial event for him. I wanted this win more than any other because I knew how much it meant for the family. I started on the pole and fended off multiple slides from both Fanelli and Oldfield, who were also ex-drivers of SEH Motorsports. Unfortunately I ended up clipping a tractor tire while battling for the lead, and did not finish the main event but it was still a lot of fun and I know that Truman was looking down smiling while watching his boys battle.

In your own opinion, what do you think is THE MOST badass thing about your car? Is it the paint job? Is it the motor? Is it the chassis? Is it the driver? The builder? The owner? What makes your ride stand apart from the rest?

That is a great question. I take a lot of pride in the cars that I drive. The Sprint Car that I drive, owned by Pat West, is one of the coolest looking cars that I have ever had the privilege of wheeling. The J&J Auto Racing chassis is a beautiful turquoise color and “Grammy” quickly dubbed it her “show car” that we just happen to race. The car that we are working on putting together for 2021 is just as pretty, with the base color as Crown Royal Purple.

Have you ever sneezed during green flag conditions? If so, how did that turn out?

I don’t think that our bodies would let us sneeze during green flag conditions because of how focused we are. I have done this plenty of times under caution and in staging though, and man it is not very comfortable. LOL

Do you have a favorite NASCAR Cup Series Driver?

My favorite Cup Series driver that is actively driving is Kurt Busch. He is a really good example of someone that had a troubled past but was able to work on himself and it ultimately made him a better driver as well as a person. I can really respect the way that he carries himself today, and he is very talented behind the wheel, especially on restarts.

Do you have a favorite Cup Series track?

It would be hard to not pick Bristol here, but I have always had a love for Phoenix Raceway. It has been my home track since it’s the closest one to Albuquerque, and my favorite childhood memories were made at the campgrounds of the facility.

Who will win the Cup Series championship this year?

If you would have asked me earlier, I would have easily said Kevin Harvick. Obviously that isn’t going to happen in 2020 so I would lean towards Chase Elliott. He is consistently good at Phoenix and has momentum coming into the weekend.

Do you have any pre-race rituals that you perform before getting strapped in for a race?

I wouldn’t say there are any specific rituals that I perform before strapping in the car, but I do not normally eat before a race. I used to get really nervous when I was younger to the point where I would get sick if I ate before one of my races.

What is the best part of racing on dirt as opposed to asphalt?

Dirt racing really allows fans to see a driver’s skills behind the wheel. In asphalt racing their parameters with setups are so close because their track doesn’t make drastic changes. This makes it to where your setup really defines how far you can take a car on asphalt. Now, don’t get me wrong, setup is very important in dirt racing as well. The difference, however, is that in dirt track racing the track makes drastic changes nearly every lap so you have to keep that in mind when setting a car up and make an attempt to make it the best it can be for the longest amount of time. Where the car might be lacking is where a driver must adjust their driving style to make up for any lost speed. This is what many dirt track racing fans find the most exciting. I also would note that dirt races are almost always shorter, with drivers driving as hard as they possibly can every single lap. There is no riding around.

How fast have you ever driven any vehicle in your life?

The short answer here is I have no clue! My daily is a 1996 Ford Bronco - which if you’ve ever been in those they are not fast at all. Then my racecars don’t have speedometers so it isn’t easy to calculate. With as short as the tracks I race are, my best bet is somewhere around 115-120 right before hooking a sharp left.

Do you ever get claustrophobic inside the helmet?

We work really hard when putting the cars together to make sure this doesn’t happen so luckily it is a rarity. The exception for this is when we get upside down and are trapped inside the car. Then it gets very claustrophobic.

On any given day, how often do you think about racing? Minutes? Hours? Up all night?

Another great question. I think about racing almost every minute that I am awake and often racing scenes show up in dreams too. My life truly revolves around it.

If they were allowed would you ever want a rearview mirror?

If they were allowed, every driver that wanted to win would install one. However, I like the unpredictability that no mirrors or radio communication brings. I think that it puts more responsibility in our hands and ultimately brings forth cleaner racing because you don’t get the blatant blocks as often. (They still do though but we call it chopping).

How is your 2020 season going so far? Sum it up in three words or less.

Too short!

I had a solid 2020 season, even though it was at a very condensed rate. I was very close to my first nonwinged sprint car feature win and I was able to win my only Micro Sprint start this year at the Sprint Car Stampede in October.

Have you got a speeding ticket within the last three years?

Never had a speeding ticket before (knock on wood)! Lucky for me, I typically get my need for speed taken care of on the track, so I never really speed while in my passenger vehicles.

Has a flagman ever just completely confused the heck out of you during a race? No names or details…

just a yes or no. Yes. Sometimes the calls that they make are very questionable.

If you had to choose one driver who raced exclusively on dirt as your idol, who you look up to and have the utmost respect for, who would that be?

Any series or division as long as they’re exclusively a “dirt” driver. Exclusively on dirt, my idol would be Kevin Olson. He is one of the pioneers of midget racing, and one of the funniest people I can think of. Any interview that you can come across of his is guaranteed to give you a laugh. Other notables would be Jack Hewitt, Ken Schrader, and Jac Haudenschild.

When you are finished racing and you run your final lap and your fellow competitors, promoters, writers and the fans had to describe you in ONE word…what word would it be?

Old!

Do you have any social media or a website?

Facebook - @ SpencerHillRacing Instagram - @Spencer_Hill4 Twitter - @Spencer_Hill4

Website is under construction and will be back in Jan 2021!