Thirty years of stock car racing, equipped with 30 years of automotive engine building and repair experience, and what do you get? Life.
Tony Hill, 44, moved to Cortez when he was 10 and began racing hobby stocks at age 14.
He now races regular stocks in the International Motor Contest Association in his 007 Victory Racing stock car. Hill has compiled more than 60 wins in 007 and in the process, developed a keen sense behind the wheel and under the hood.
As a 14-year-old, he also worked in the local Napa machine shop. After four years in the U.S. Marine Corps following high school, Hill returned home and bought the old Napa machine shop, and as he says, The rest is history.
Ive been around the racing game a long time, Hill said.
Racing stock cars has taken Hill as far as Australia. Along the way at each racetrack, Hill has developed friendships and working relationships in the repair pits. So much so that Hill started building and repairing racing engines for fellow drivers, in addition to his own.
Since July 1991 when Tony and his wife Lexi Hill opened Victory Racing & Machine, Race Winning Performance, located at 27950 County Road M, the business has thrived off of race car engine repair. At least 50 percent of the business profits from building and repairing IMCA race car engines in house, which has ultimately taken a toll on Tony Hill being able to race over the years.
Now its getting to where my priorities are my customers instead of how good Im doing racing, he said. Its tough to be able to go out and race 40 shows a year, or even 60 shows like we used too. We got a lot of customers that rely on us to have their stuff ready for them to go race the next weekend. Sometimes its all-nighters in here.
The remaining 50 percent of the business deals with agricultural, marine and work truck engine repair and maintenance. But Victory Racing & Machine builds and repairs so many IMCA engines, the business has been nominated for IMCAs Engine Builder of the Year award. The annual award is determined by how many of a companys engines are in IMCA race cars, and how high those race cars finish in the IMCA seasonal point standings. Tony Hill said Victory Racing & Machine is leading the IMCA engine points standings and that the final results will be totaled in September, which is when Engine Builder of the Year is presented.
Its a real big feather in your hat to be able to be crowned that, he said about winning IMCA Engine Builder of the Year. I would rather much get that than go out and win a track championship or even a regional championship. For a small shop like this, its a big deal to even be in the top 10. Were kind of excited about that.
Around 50 percent of all the mini, hobby and regular stock, and sport modified and modified race cars that compete at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds Speedway run on Victory Racing & Machine engines or have been repaired by Tony Hill and his shop. Trying to keep every engine maintained can be as fast paced as racing on the dirt oval track.
It kind of gets stressful, Hill said. These guys hurt a motor or something on Saturday night, if they dont have a spare, theyre wanting something by next weekend. This year has been really good, though. Weve had few real failures.
Twenty-three race cars from across the country are using Victory Racing & Machine built motors.
Hill feels his three decades of racing from penny stocks to sprint cars has gauged his knowledge on race car engines and what drivers of all models want. He believes this is a significant reason his business has thrived in the world of racing.
I kind of know what the customer wants, he said. I can kind of read them on how much they want to spend or how much horsepower they need or whatever. I think thats probably an advantage where I have over a lot of shops that dont race.
Lexi Hill handles the business side of Victory Racing & Machine with ordering car parts and financial billing.
She (Lexi) basically takes care of all the customers, and I try to do the (engine) work, Tony Hill said.
Tony and Lexi Hill have three kids, Dillon Hill, Nikki McCluer and Clay Fuchs, and have seven grandchildren.
For more information about Victory Racing & Machine, Race Winning Performance, call 565-4955.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobbya@cortezjournal.com.