Hillenburg remains a mystery

By DICK BRINSTER

AP Sports Writer

He has tasted victory twice at Daytona International Speedway, won an ARCA championship, operates a high-profile racing school, and gets rave reviews for his ability as a spotter.

A number of NASCAR kingpins sing his praises, yet Andy Hillenburg remains the unknown racer, perceived as a businessman who merely dabbles as a driver.

"Nothing could be farther from the truth," Hillenburg said after arriving in Indianapolis for another of his specialties - testing. "Sure, I'm a businessman, but I never said I wasn't interested in a steady ride.

"I'm a racer, and regardless of my business activities I have a hunger to compete. You don't satisfy that hunger by sitting on the sidelines."

At Indianapolis, Hillenburg was testing for Earl Sadler, hoping to try for a spot in the Brickyard 400 on Aug. 1. Hillenburg drove Sadler's car to a 29th-place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500.

Among those who like the 35-year-old Hoosier's resume are Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace and Ken Schrader. Hillenburg raced against Gordon around the Midwest in their open-wheel days, has won in cars owned by Schrader, and has Wallace as a customer.

All speak well of him and respect him as a driver.

"Hillenburg is awesome," Wallace said. "It's amazing why he doesn't have a steady ride.

"Maybe because Andy's so busy doing other things, I don't know if anybody even pays a lot of attention to him."

Hillenburg was the center of some attention last weekend at Loudon, N.H., where he played musical chairs with Morgan Shepherd for a ride in Joe Falk's Chevrolet.

Hillenburg practiced the car and tried to qualify it. When he failed to make the field for the Jiffy Lube 300, Shepherd was given a shot. He couldn't do it, either.

The car made the race on an owner's provisional, and Shepherd was listed to drive. But Hillenburg's name was painted above the driver's door.

"I'm a very interesting guy," he said with a laugh. "You know, keep everybody in suspense."

With the unknown driver at the wheel, the car started last in a field of 43 and finished 31st. But such things do not reflect Hillenburg's talent in the eyes of some.

"I've driven against Andy, and he's a good racer," said Gordon, in pursuit of his third series title. "I certainly think he could make it in Winston Cup if had the right opportunity."

The last two words speak volumes.

"The one thing you don't want to do is go to a team that's not competitive, one that can't win and never will," Hillenburg said. "All that gets you is fired and maybe a reputation for being a lousy driver.

"I have had some discussions about driving both in and out of Winston Cup, but the situation hasn't been right."

Meanwhile, he tests cars when he isn't taking an occasional foray into Winston Cup, runs the Fast Track racing school in Charlotte, N.C., and calls shots for Schrader from the grandstand roof.

"He's been an integral part of our program," Schrader said. "Since he's a driver, it makes him one of the best spotters in the business.

"Andy has a very positive attitude and the ability to adapt to different cars in different series."

Wallace agrees, and says Hillenburg should be able to get a steady ride someday by making sure everybody knows he wants one.

"Every time Andy gets into Schrader's car or somebody else's that's any good, he does super," Wallace said. "I've always been impressed.

"Heck, I sent my grandpop to his driving school."

Actually, it was Wallace's father-in-law. But the message was that he respected Hillenburg enough to entrust to him a family member.

But Wallace, Schrader and Gordon are royalty of the road, not kingmakers. They can't give him a Winston Cup ride, and one might not be forthcoming according to Dave Marcis, who likes Hillenburg's work testing IROC cars.

"There's a lot of politics involved today," said Marcis, an outspoken independent who never attracted a big-spending sponsor. "You've just got to have the right connections, or it's a tough deal."

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