News Director 
Column By: BILLY HODGES / RPW – LAUREL, DE – Being just 26 years of age, James Hill has a very busy 2023 season on his hands, racing three cars in three different divisions at a multitude of tracks.
However, the 2023 season could be his last as a full-time racer, so he’s trying to go out with a bang.
“We’re going to be racing a lot this year,” Hill said. “We’ll run the 602 Crate at Delaware International, Bridgeport Motorsports Park and Georgetown Speedway. We’ll run the Big Block car mostly at Delaware, though.”
That’s not all.
“Jerry Barker, who owns a Mod Lite car, hit me up and asked if I wanted to run it for him,” he said. “I jumped on that opportunity.
Does Hill have an idea about a schedule for the Mod Lite?
“We’ll be back at Middleford speedway and do selective races hitting up some National races,” he said. “I wanna get back on track so we’re going to have a brand new piece from NXS chassis from Ohio.”
Last season was tough for Hill as his team dealt with a lot of motor problems across the board. This year, he’s looking for change his luck.
“I’ve got high exceptions for the 2023 season,” he said. “We wanted win races this year. Dealing with tougher drivers now, it’s hard to come out on top.”
Even though he knows the difficulties, Hill’s firm on a goal he’d love to achieve.
“I’ve set a 20-win plateau this year,” he said. “I’m trying to put my name back on the map. The last two years have been rough and I’ve personally burned out. I’ve been really hard on myself for it and want to change our fortunes.”
Hill has been racing for 15 years. What keeps it enjoyable for him?
“My favorite thing about this sport is being in the seat and just going racing,” he said. “I’ve always loved it. I balance racing with my personally life and am usually very busy working eight hours on the road and running the family business.
His family operation is TL Hill Services Unlimited, which deals with delivering sand, fill dirt, topsoil, concrete sand, mulch and more to a wide variety of customers. However, he stated this coming campaign may be his last hurrah. Why?
“After this season, I’m gonna focus on my family and our family business,” he said. “I’m going race less. Right now, after working long shifts, I go straight to the shop and working on the cars, usually another seven hours to get them ready for the races. It’s time to cut back so we can go out on the weekends to focus on family.”
There’s also another “big deal” on the horizon for Hill.
“Being married, my wife has always supported me and whatever I wanted to do,” he said. “However, with my first kid on the way in October, this might be the last year of racing full-time. Family is the most important thing.”
Throughout the year, Hill stays focused on his skills by iRacing to stay in competitive form. He knows he has to be in peak condition as a driver for those that support his racing efforts so he can possibly take them to victory lane.
“The sponsors we have are a huge help,” he said. “They’ve come on in a big way and spent a lot of money this year. I can’t thank them enough for believing in me.
There’s one in particular that Hill is very grateful for.
“At Bridgeport, someone that’s help me a lot over the years is Johnny Guerrero,” he said. “This might be my last rodeo so I have to make it count. I have to focus on the future with my family and business so, in 2023, I want to savor ever chance I can to run well.”
#69 602 Crate (Owner Buddy Matthews). Sponsors include TL Hill Services, Perfect Finish Powdercoating, Carey’s Towing, JBS Construction, Randy Hill The Real Estate Market, Eastern Shore Veterinary Hospital, Fastline Performance, Teo Pro Car, G2 Design & The Bank Of Delmarva.
#71 Big Block Modified (Owner Charles Phillips). Sponsors include DMC Farms, TMS Mechanical, Gene’s Auto Body, Phillips Fabrication, TL Hill Services, Scott Richards Graphics & Fastline Performance.
#51 Mod Lite (Owner Jerry Barker). Sponsors include Eastern Shore Veterinary Hospital, Delaware Southern Foot & Ankle, Tapman Truck Repair, Workman Farms, NXS Chassis, TSM Shocks & NXS Motorsports.
