Former ARCA Menards Series champion and current team owner Andy Hillenburg has been named the recipient of the General Tire Spirit Award for the 2020 season. Hillenburg started his career racing open wheel cars on the dusty bullrings of Indiana and rose to compete in stock cars and the Indianapolis 500 before he transitioned to team ownership. Additionally, he has been involved in the sport as a driving instructor, track owner, and as the series director for the United States Auto Club Silver Crown division.
“Andy’s drive and desire are definitive of the ARCA Menards Series,” said ARCA president Ron Drager. “From the time he started racing with us until now, Andy has worked as hard as anyone and he’s often done it with a fraction of the budget of the top teams. In one of the most challenging years we’ve all collectively faced, Andy and his team showed up every week with multiple racecars and competed for top ten finishes. He’s helped a lot of young drivers and crew members get their start and it’s that never-give-up spirit that has earned him the 2020 General Tire Spirit Award.”
“Andy’s commitment to the ARCA Menards Series is a perfect example of what this award represents,” stated Travis Roffler, director of marketing for General Tire. “In an extremely challenging year, where no one would have faulted a team for holding back, Andy and his team showed up each week to help deliver the quality of competition and entertainment that fans of the ARCA Menards Series have come to expect. With Andy’s resume of championing not just the ARCA Menards Series, but for all motorsports, we felt this honor was well deserved.”
The General Tire Spirit Award is accompanied by a $2,500 cash prize, which is also matched by a donation to a charity of the recipient’s choice. The Double H Ranch, summer camp in Lake Luzerne, New York that provides specialized programs and year-round support for children with serious illnesses and long-time associated with Hillenburg’s Fast Track High Performance Racing Team and driver Ed Pompa, will also receive a check for $2,500.
“I’ve always appreciated the ARCA Series, the people involved in it, and the great sponsors and supporters like Menards and General Tire,” Hillenburg said. “This is great, it’s such a meaningful award. Everyone in the series benefits from General Tire’s participation, with fan activities, broadcast support, team support, exposure – they have really helped to elevate the profile of the series. I am very humbled by this.”
Hillenburg, a two-time ARCA winner at Daytona and one of the few drivers to race in the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500, will oversee the ARCA Road to Daytona program at the series’ annual open test at Daytona International Speedway on January 15 and 16.
