Port Tobacco native Timmy Hill threatened to become the first driver from the state of Maryland since 1966 to win a NASCAR race in one of the top-tier divisions of NASCAR racing. He spent much of the night inside the top-10 in Friday night’s Subway Jalepeno 250 at Daytona International Speedway before finishing ninth.
 
“It was awesome,” Hill said. “We didn’t qualify so well. You know at Daytona, qualifying doesn’t really matter. We drafted well enough. People will work with you. I was able to come to the front and hang at the front. Some of the cup guys picked me up and made some moves. We had a good night because of it.”
 
The finish was Hill’s second top-ten finish of the 2012 season. He finished in seventh in the season opening DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona in February. Kurt Busch, who has spent much of the 2012 NASCAR season mired in controversy and adversity, survived a massive last lap crash to score the win.
 
Hill had to drive his way through a couple of wrecks to get to the front from his 38th place qualifying position. He was able to work with Rick Ware Racing teammate Jeffery Earnhardt before Earnhardt wrecked off the front bumper of 2011 series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr., a wreck that also took out heavy favorite, Danica Patrick.
 
“We were alright,” Hill said. “I was still coming back from 38th. When those wrecks happened, we avoided it. It helped that we weren’t (in the middle of the pack) during the wrecks.”
 
Patrick was drafting with Hill when she was swept up in the Earnhardt incident. That, however, was not the only incident Hill had to drive through. On lap 65 of the 100 lap race, Mike Wallace collided with former series champion Kevin Harvick, triggering a massive melee. Hill was able to dodge several cars to get through the crash without any contact.
 
“I’ve been fortunate,” he said.   “I don’t know what it is but I’ve got really good reflexes to avoid wrecks. Some people get freaked out and make foolish moves. I’ve just been able to make good decisions. (Virtual motorsports simulator) iRacing is one thing (that helps). Some people just have good hands/eye coordination and good reaction times. I’m just a guy who stays calm.”
 
After Earnhardt and Patrick were sidelined, Hill found himself without a drafting partner and falling back. That was until a piece of debris on the apron at the start-finish line forced NASCAR to throw a caution, setting up a Green-White-Checkered Finish.
 
“The G-W-C helped. Before the G-W-C, it got to the point that the guys paired up and I got to the point nobody was willing to tango draft. It was still the fastest way around the racetrack” Hill said. “On the restart, we were able to make a couple quick moves.”
 
Hill also praised Rick Ware Racing after the race.
 
“I think Rick Ware Racing is improving,” he said. “The team’s

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