As the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series exits a four-week break from racing action, Freedom Racing Enterprises, which fields the No. 76 Chevrolet Silverado has announced a change atop the pit box for it’s race team. Mike Hillman Jr. will join the organization as the new crew chief for this weekend’s Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway.
Jeff Hammond, FRE’s General Manager who had been serving as the interim crew chief for the organization since the fourth race of the season, issued a statement on Monday morning announcing the acquisition of Hillman.
“Over the past nine races, I have served as the interim crew chief for the No. 76 Chevrolet Silverado while we searched for the ideal candidate for the permanent position,” Hammond said in the statement. “I am thrilled to announce that Mike Hillman Jr. has been chosen as the new crew chief for Spencer Boyd in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Mike brings an impressive resume and, more importantly, an immediate chemistry with the team that confirmed he was the perfect fit. We are excited to return to the track after a brief break in the schedule, confident in our ongoing progress as an organization.”
Hillman had been serving as the crew chief for Bayley Currey and the No. 41 Niece Motorsports team this season. The pairing of Currey and Hillman recorded a best finish of 11th, twice, in their 12 races together this season, and Currey ranks 18th in the championship standings heading into Nashville.
The move means a top-20 team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series ranks will have to secure a new crew chief heading into this weekend’s race.
Freedom Racing Enterprises hopes that Hillman can bring that level of competitiveness to their upstart organization.
While Boyd recorded a fifth-place finish in his team’s first-ever start, which came in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway, it has been a massive struggle for the No. 76 organization ever since.
Greg Ely, who started the season as Boyd’s crew chief, was released following runs of 22nd and 29th at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Hammond, a legendary crew chief in his own right, took over the role of crew chief.
Aside from the great run at Daytona, Boyd has just two additional top-20 finishes this season, a 19th-place effort at Darlington and a 20th-place run at Charlotte. Boyd sits 26th in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series championship standings at this juncture in the season.
The good news is that Boyd has taken care of the team’s equipment to this point in the season, and perhaps Hillman can help the group bring more consistent speed to the race track week-in and week-out.
