NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour team owner David Hill looks at it as the first step to being back.
The Hill Enterprises 79 Whelen Modified Tour car (Photo: Corey Sipkin/NASCAR)
Hill confirmed Wednesday that his Hill Enterprises team will compete in the Whelen Modified Tour portion of the UNOH Battle at the Beach at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 18.
Hill said veteran Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway regular Dave Brigati of Calverton, N.Y. will be driving for the team at Daytona.
In October Hill announced that his Hill Enterprises team would most likely not be competing with the Whelen Modified Tour in 2014 because of financial issues plaguing the organization. The team parted ways with driver Woody Pitkat after the 2013 season.
Hill said Wednesday that he is working with Brigati to try and put the finances together to run full-time on the Whelen Modified Tour in 2014.
“I’m very happy to be going to Daytona,” Hill said. “We’re still working on the rest of the deal, but it’s a pretty positive sign that we’ll be Tour racing this year. I’m pretty happy that I can keep things going. It’s been in the works for a while, it’s just a matter of getting the fine print settled.”
Said Brigati: “I would say it’s definitely going to come together.”
Brigati has made four career Whelen Modified Tour starts dating back to 2009, all at Riverhead Raceway. He ran last year’s inaugural UNOH Battle at the Beach at Daytona. He has also made two career Whelen Southern Modified Tour starts, both in 2010.
“I’m very excited. I’ve been waiting for a while to do this,” Brigati said. “I’ve just never had the man-power crew-wise to do something. … It’s a once in a lifetime chance [to race for Hill Enterprises].”
The Hill Enterprises team, based in Westfield, N.C., has been a stalwart organization with the Modified Tour. The family’s patriarch, David’s father Roger, passed away in Jan. 2012. His widow Sandra handed ownership of the team to David Hill last year.
Sounds like NASCAR is turning the WMT into K & N series lite where a bunch of rich kids/adults that nobody has heard of are ending up in the rides.
was this in the works before woody was let go a second time
Best News of the day.Congrats to Hillbilly Racing Team.
Dave is a good choice to drive!
Woody is in a top notch car now. This is great news for the tour, and the 79 guys. And brigati.
Come on now , lighten up people … This is a win , win , win situation for all ! Some people just can’t Waite to tear thing down before they are even put together ….. Kick ass you guys !!
Congrats David and team glad your back.
So happy for all of the Hill Family, I know David has worked hard for this, and he deserves it. Go get um guys!
Hope everyone has a great season in 2014, the Hill family and Woody in his new ride. Great supporters of the sport as well as being class acts.
As said previous, its a win-win for everyone. Maybe the Hills should look into housing the car more local in the Northeast, it would save them alot of travel money. Anyway good luck to Dave and the whole Hillbilly Crew. On a second note I am happy for Dave but hate to see yet another Riverhead regular venture away.