Tommy Goudge (March 9, 2016) – Six Nations, Ontario – Alex Hill already has her 2016 racing season underway, but her schedule is about to get much busier as the team prepares to head south for 7 race nights.
JANUARY 12-16: CHILI BOWL
Alex’s 2016 season began at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 30th annual edition of the Chili Bowl drew an incredible 349 entries to the River Spirit Expo Center. The 16 year old got her first crack at the tricky indoor oval in her qualifying night on Friday, January 15, and drew the pole position for her heat race.
“I started first in my heat and finished third,” Alex recalled. “Kasey Kahne passed me, and I almost got him back on that one corner.”
Passing points lined Alex up at the tail of her qualifying race in the Kami Ronk-owned #19p, but she wasn’t able to advance, noting “the car was a bit tight.”
Combined points from her heat and qualifying races found Alex lined up 12th, but ran into problems and recorded a DNF.
Saturday night found Alex lined up 5th in the first of the two H-Features (the huge entry list necessitated N-Features!), where she needed to finish in the top four to advance in the “alphabet soup”.
“I had it going good but then I kind of got bobbled up and ended up going off of the track a bit near the flag man,” she admitted. “From there on I was in the back of the pack, and (on) the last corner I spun out.”
The week was a success for Alex, as she acquitted herself very well against the extremely tough competition despite having very limited experience in a Midget car.
FEBRUARY 18-20: EAST BAY WINTERNATIONALS
A month passed before Alex was back on a race track, as she and the Hill’s Racing Team loaded up their #77x Sprint Car and headed for East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Florida. The 40th annual Winternationals included a variety of racing divisions during the month of February, but Alex and her competitors were chasing the 15th annual Ronald Laney Memorial King of the 360’s crown, and the $10,000 winner’s prize.
East Bay was another of what will be many first looks at race tracks for Alex this season, but mechanical problems hindered her progress, starting with Wednesday’s practice.
“We had trouble with the motor,” Alex commented. “Whenever I would press on the gas it felt as if it was about to stall, so the crew changed a couple things, and the last practice session the car felt good, and motor was good and it felt fast.”
The gremlins resurfaced on Thursday night’s qualifying night, and put the team behind the eight ball again.
“I started 4th in the heat and finished 7th because the motor was doing the same exact thing,” she said. “So after the heat, we changed the motor and tried to start it but it wouldn’t start.”
After watching the rest of the action that night, the team went to work to get ready for Friday’s race.
“The guys changed a couple things and I got into the car and it ended up starting up and running good,” remembered Alex. “On Friday I was supposed to start 7th in heat one, but someone didn’t make it out there, so I started 6th and finished 5th. The car felt fast and I was finally getting the hang of the track and the speed. In the B-Main I started 6th and fell back to 7th for about five laps, and then end up passing a guy so I finished 6th.”
Saturday started with a tipover in hot laps for Alex. Crew chief Daryl Turford and his teammates attempted to fix the damage, but the crash spelled the end of their night.
The early season adversity was frustrating, but served as a valuable learning experience for Alex and her team as they prepare to embark on an ambitious schedule.
NEXT UP
Alex has more than 80 race nights spread between 40+ venues in at least 15 states/provinces on her 2016 schedule, including 10 races at her home track at Ohsweken Speedway, and her debut in a 410 Sprint Car. The team’s March schedule includes American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) National Tour events in Oklahoma and Texas:
Fri 11 March – Creek County Speedway (Sapulpa OK) ASCS National 360
Sat 12 March – Creek County Speedway (Sapulpa OK) ASCS National 360
Thu 17 March – Heart O’ Texas Speedway (Waco TX) ASCS National 360
Fri 18 March – Devil’s Bowl Speedway (Mesquite TX) ASCS National 360
Sat 19 March – Devil’s Bowl Speedway (Mesquite TX) ASCS National 360
Fri 25 March – Cotton Bowl Speedway (Paige TX) ASCS National 360
Sat 26 March – Bronco Raceway Park (Cleveland TX) ASCS National 360
SEASON STATS
-Alex Hill: 5 Races, 0 Wins, 0 Top Fives, 0 Top Tens
2016 DRIVER ROSTER
Along with Alex Hill’s busy schedule, the Hill’s Racing Team is pleased to have Cory Turner driving a 360 Sprint Car at regional events around Ontario in 2016, while Jerry Hill and Shone Evans will compete in Crate Sprint Cars at Ohsweken Speedway.
LINKS
Website: www.HillsRacingTeam.com
Twitter: @alexhill77x
Facebook: search “Hill’s Racing Team”
HILL’S HELPERS
The Hill’s Racing Team would like to thank all their sponsors and supporters, including Iroquois Hereford Farms, Townline Variety, BMO Bank of Montreal, Tony Stewart Racing, CARSTAR Collision & Glass Service, Ackland Insurance, M-One, Davis Fuels, Engine Pro Racing, and Ohsweken Speedway. Visit www.HillsRacingTeam.com to find out how you can join the team!
BECOME A HILL’S RACING TEAM INSIDER
E-mail tgoudgecommunications@gmail.
