Robert Keith Hillin Jr. (born June 5, 1964) is an Americanstock car racing driver. He is a former competitor inNASCAR'sWinston Cup andBusch Series, and once held the record for being the youngest driver ever to win a Winston Cup Series event.
Born inMidland, Texas, Hillin began his career in racing by watching his father's IndyCar team, Longhorn Racing, compete inUnited States Auto Club-sanctionedsprint car racing andIndyCar events.[1] An all-districtlinebacker in high school,[2] he began his stock car career at the age of thirteen and soon after won the track championship at Odessa Speedbowl inOdessa, Texas, and attended the Buck Baker Driving School at the age of sixteen.[3]
Hillin's 1984 Winston Cup car
Hillin made his debut in NASCAR Winston Cup Series competition at the age of seventeen, driving a car owned and sponsored by his family and crewed byHarry Hyde in the 1982Northwestern Bank 400 atNorth Wilkesboro Speedway to a 21st-place finish.[4] Hillin moved to North Carolina to further his career, continuing his education through correspondence courses; he graduated from high school the day before the 1983 Coca-Cola World 600;[4] in 1984 he joinedStavola Brothers Racing,[4] and in 1986 became the youngest winner in NASCAR's "modern era" when he won the Talladega 500 for the team,[4] at the age of 22 years, 1 month and 22 days.[5]
Despite the win, and two wins in the NASCAR Busch Series in 1988 and 1989 driving for Highline Racing, Hillin's career took a downturn; he would later say he was not mature enough to deal with the pressures of being a NASCAR winner.[6] He left the Stavola Brothers team after the 1990 season; he started the 1991 season qualifying a backup car for Moroso Racing fastest in third-round time trials for theDaytona 500.[7] A seventh-place finish in the 500 won Hillin the team's regular ride, however after ten races a lack of sponsorship forced the team to cut back its schedule, and Hillin was released;[8] After two races withJimmy Means Racing,[9] Hillin was named as substitute driver forKyle Petty, who had broken his leg earlier in the year in a wreck atTalladega;[10] he drove eight races in theTeam SABCO No. 42 before Petty returned.[11]
Hillin then joinedTeam Ireland late in the 1991 season, and then for a partial season in 1992.[12] When the team closed late in 1992 after being disqualified at the October Charlotte race, Hillin moved toDonlavey Racing, running the full 1993 season for the team.[13] After three races in 1994, Hillin resigned from the team;[14] Hillin ran a partial schedule the rest of the year forCharles Hardy Racing and Moroso Racing,[15][16] then attempted two races early in 1995 for Moroso,[17] before joiningJasper Motorsports twelve races into the1995 season, replacingDavy Jones.[18] Hillin remained with the team through 1996 and into 1997. Hillin also competed in theSuzuka Thunder Special, an exhibition race held atSuzuka Circuit in Japan following the 1996 season;[19] he finished seventh in the event.[20] He was released from the team after failing to qualify for the 1997 Coca-Cola 600;[21] he continued to drive for the team through the Pocono 500 before being replaced byMorgan Shepherd.[22] Later that year Hillin attempted three races for Triad Motorsports,[23] failing to qualify for any; he would only drive one further Winston Cup race in his career, atBristol Motor Speedway in 2000 forMelling Racing, substituting for an injuredStacy Compton.[24]
Hillin restarted his own Busch Series team for the 1998 season, including fiveMajor League Baseball players in the team's ownership;[25] the team underperformed, and after the 2000 season he chose to go into semi-retirement, having decided to go into business in his native Texas.[6] In 2008, Hillin returned briefly to competition, driving atKansas Speedway in the Nationwide Series forMacDonald Motorsports; he drove one additional race for the team in the series atTexas Motor Speedway in 2009, but then retired for good from the sport.[6]
Hillin is married to Jamie Patterson of Austin, Texas. He is currently the CEO of T-Rex Engineering & Construction, providing services to theGulf of Mexico'soil drilling industry.[1][6]
Hillin's oldest son, Luke Hillin, is Sr. Associate Athletic Director at the University of Tulsa.[citation needed]
