Update 2:03pm EST – Timmy Hill has confirmed our previously reported story that he will race for Team Penske in tonight’s eNASCAR Pro Invitational Series race at Bristol.
Alright I’m in! I appreciate everyone’s support over the last 24 hours. All my fans out there put up the good fight! Looking forward to slinging some virtual mud tonight. Thanks MBM & Team Penske for allowing me to do this. https://t.co/Lii9i7qTFj
— Timmy Hill (@TimmyHillRacer) March 24, 2021
Original Story:
With the start of the 2021 eNASCAR Pro Invitational Series just hours away, fans were quick to notice that one of the most dominant drivers in the 2020 edition, was snubbed from the entry list.
That’s all changed in a matter of hours. Sources with knowledge of the situation have confirmed to TobyChristie.com that Timmy Hill, who was initially excluded from the eNASCAR Pro Invitational Entry List for Wednesday’s Bristol Dirt Race, will now participate in the race in a Team Penske entry.
The news comes as Austin Cindric, who was scheduled to race in the No. 2 for Brad Keselowski, offered up his seat to the excluded driver. Keselowski endorsed the decision, and Team Penske social media agreed.
Big shoes to fill subbing for BK. Tight squeeze into his virtual seat. Knees are in the virtual digital dash, and I didn't even have time to pack virtual tear-offs…
I think @TimmyHillRacer would be the man for the job tonight, what do ya think @keselowski?
— Austin Cindric (@AustinCindric) March 24, 2021
According to sources, Hill will not race under the MBM No. 66 banner because the Penske car is “already loaded in the system” referring to iRacing.
The deal was expedited, in part, thanks to TobyChristie.com. While the deal was being formulated, a handful of industry insiders orchestrating the deal, surprisingly, did not have personal contact information for the Maryland driver. TobyChristie.com was able to provide the contact information for Hill after insiders requested the help of the website to help keep the deal moving forward.
Hill spoke candidly to TobyChristie.com yesterday, discussing the snub, and how the smaller guys are once again being left on the outside looking in.
Compete in every cup event the last 2 seasons and the only cup driver that was left out… stings a bit. https://t.co/EGMI4NuNey
— Timmy Hill (@TimmyHillRacer) March 23, 2021
“Personally, living it, I don’t like it. I don’t like smaller guys being silenced or being left out,” Hill said. “Personally, living it, it doesn’t leave a great taste. It feels like you’re not part of the club so to speak. We’re out there just like everybody else, you know, we don’t have a lot of the luxuries that a lot of these bigger teams have. But I feel like if we didn’t have a lot of these smaller teams in the sport, I don’t know how this sport would survive or even thrive.”
The exclusion of Hill was a major surprise to fans. He was utilized on promotional material from FOX NASCAR’s social media channels but was not granted entry. Additionally, he was one of the most dominant drivers of the series in 2020, scoring one win and finishing in the top-three in all but one start of the series.
The social media uproar caught him off guard after learning he was excluded from the roster.
“It’s a little surprising. I’m surprised I’ve built this much of a fan base,” Hill said with pride. “But it’s nice to see so much support. I appreciate these people and their willingness to hopefully somehow petition myself into this race, but it’s so nice to see so much support.”
Fans can see the sudden favorite hit the track on Wednesday night at 8 PM EST on FOX Sports 1.
[…] After fans voiced their support for Timmy Hill after being snubbed from the original entry list, Team Penske driver Austin Cindric offered up the No. 2 seat. Hill was able to race his way in from his heat race and lock himself into the main event. […]