Gilroy native Mike Hill, 18, has taken the road less traveled in
his budding career as a race car driver.
Scott Akanewich Special to South Valley Newspapers
Gilroy native Mike Hill, 18, has taken the road less traveled in his budding career as a race car driver.
Hill is currently competing in the Star Mazda Winter Series after successful stints in Formula Ford and Formula BMW the past few years – using each circuit as a stepping stone to what he hopes will be bigger and better things in the world of auto racing.
“I’ll be driving the same style of car this year,” Hill said during a recent testing session at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. “But the engine provides more horsepower.”
Music to a racer’s ears.
More horsepower under the hood means more speed on the track, which in turn provides invaluable experience as Hill works his way up the learning curve, leading eventually to machines that will travel at top speeds of 230 MPH.
For now, Hill is adjusting incredibly well to his new John Walko Racing team with Star Mazda. At Buttonwillow in late November, he qualified second for two races, and went on to win both events, even lapping the field in the first victory.
While many of his fellow quarter-midget graduates have made the more traditional move to stock cars, Hill has been loyal to what he believes is the purest form of racing – open-wheel.
The legendary Mario Andretti was the last American driver to win the Formula One World Driving Championship in 1978. In fact, no driver representing the Red, White and Blue has even won an F-1 event since Andretti’s victory at the Dutch Grand Prix during that championship season. Americans have competed in what Hill considers the world’s premier circuit since, with Andretti’s son Michael being the most notable.
The dearth of Americans driving overseas in recent years is largely due to the enormous success and popularity NASCAR has enjoyed in the U.S. Whereas in decades past, talented young U.S.-born drivers such as Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. or Jeff Gordon might have been lured overseas by the bright lights, glitz and glamour of F-1, such drivers have been content to stay home and race in NASCAR.
Even talented open-wheel drivers such as the younger Andretti, Sam Hornish, Jr. and more recently Danica Patrick, have opted to remain on home soil and compete in the Indy Racing League or Champ Car series.
Hill, who has been piloting race cars of some sort since age 11, has stuck with the fenderless variety of the open-wheel scene while many of his contemporaries have moved on to stock cars.
“The open-wheel style of racing just appeals to me more,” Hill said. “From the road courses we run, as opposed to ovals, to the fact it’s a lot more driver-oriented.”
Open-wheel road racing is as much an art form as it is a sport as far as this confident, young driver is concerned.
In that case, F-1 is the Monet of racing series, he said.
“Formula One does have an aura about it that has a draw for me,” Hill said. “It’s the top series in the world.”
As for being an American making an impact on such an international stage, he minces no words on how he feels.
“I think it would be a great honor and an incredible experience to represent my country,” he said.
Hill’s philosophy about his approach to the sport is one of his strengths, as he knows when to push the envelope and when to back off – an innate sixth sense a driver must have, which can sometimes be the difference between a trip to the winner’s circle with a checkered flag in hand or an excursion to a local hospital. There’s a fine line between being courageous and reckless.
“But that’s the whole essence of racing – being on the edge,” Hill said.
This type of gameplan not only helps keep a driver in one piece, but also ensures a greater chance for season-ending glory in the form of a series championship.
According to Hill, that’s what racing is all about.
“Every chance you get you want to win the race,” he said. “But the goal is the win championships and be recognized as the best at what you do.”
After finishing out of the top ten in last year’s standings and a switch to JWR Racing for the 2008 season, Hill knows he has his work cut out for him.
“Last year, we didn’t do as well as we had hoped,” he said. “Now, I’m just trying to get acclimated to the new car so I can improve my performance.”
Hill has already raced on some of the most famous tracks in the world, most notably the Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterrey, a circuit which features the infamous “corkscrew,” a winding, downhill section of the course.
“You literally drop the equivalent of eight stories in 300 meters,” he said. “It takes a great amount of courage.”
The fastest he’s gone in a race car to date is 173 MPH – his biggest scare was in last season’s final race when he slid off the course backwards into a concrete wall at 120 MPH.
Many people underestimate the skill level and talent it takes to drive a top-flight race car, he said, with one footnote, however.
“A lot of people think it’s easy to get behind the wheel,” said Hill. “But just because you can kick a soccer ball doesn’t mean you can ‘bend it like Beckham.’ ”
Time will tell if Hill will go on to be the next American Formula One World Champion, but if given a choice between winning the single most famous race in the world or a world championship, his intentions are clear.
“I’d much rather win a Formula One World Championship than the Indianapolis 500,” Hill said.
While the Winter Series is taking up the majority of his time right now, next up for this speedster is the Star Mazda season. But that doesn’t mean Hill isn’t keeping an eye on the more distant future.
“My goal is to be in a top pro series and be a champion,” he said.
After all, it’s about time another American ruled the world of racing.
