Hillman-Circle Sport LLC
| Owner(s) | Mike Hillman, Sr. |
|---|---|
| Base | Mooresville, North Carolina |
| Series | Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series |
| Car numbers | 25, 27, 29, 33, 39, 40, 41, 50, 90 |
| Race drivers | 33. TBA |
| Sponsors | 33. TBA |
| Manufacturer | Chevrolet |
| Opened | 2011 |
| Career | |
| Debut |
Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series: 2012 Samsung Mobile 500 (Texas) Camping World Truck Series: 2012 NextEra Energy Resources 250 (Daytona) |
| Latest race |
Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series: 2015 Ford EcoBoost 400 (Homestead) Camping World Truck Series: 2013 Ford EcoBoost 200 (Homestead) |
| Races competed |
Total: 230 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series: 186 Camping World Truck Series: 44 |
| Drivers' Championships |
Total: 0 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series: 0 Camping World Truck Series: 0 |
| Race victories |
Total: 0 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series: 0 Camping World Truck Series: 0 |
| Pole positions |
Total: 0 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series: 0 Camping World Truck Series: 0 |
Hillman Racing was an American professional team that competed in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The team was formed in 2011, fielding the No. 50 for T. J. Bell, and later in 2012, the team fielded the No. 40 and the No. 33 part-time in the Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series, while fielding the No. 27 in the Camping World Truck Series. In 2014, the team pulled out of the truck series and began fielding the No. 40 Cup car full-time, alongside the part-time No. 33.
Throughout most of its existence, the team was legally known as Hillman-Circle Sport LLC, with the No. 33 and No. 40 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series entries branded as Circle Sport LLC and Hillman Racing respectively. During this time, Circle Sport (which purchased the No. 33 from Richard Childress Racing seven races into 2012) rented the No. 33 points to RCR for several races per season.
After the 2015 season, the team shut down, with parts of the team sold to RCR and Premium Motorsports. Circle Sport owner Joe Falk later became an investor of the Leavine Family Racing team, merging Circle Sport to form Circle Sport – Leavine Family Racing.
In 2011 Joe Falk, former owner of LJ Racing, returned to team ownership in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, running the No. 50 for LTD Powersports with driver T. J. Bell on a limited basis starting with the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Bell competed for Rookie of the Year during the season, but only qualified for five races, four of them with Falk's team, which failed to qualify for nine additional races.
The team entered the No. 40 as Hillman Racing at the 2012 Daytona 500 for Michael Waltrip, and at Bristol for Tony Raines, failing to qualify at Daytona and withdrawing from Bristol prior to practice. Before the April race at Texas, Falk announced that he was purchasing the No. 33 Sprint Cup Series team from Richard Childress Racing. The team, one Childress had planned to run for only the first five races of the season due to lack of sponsorship, was transferred to Falk's ownership after the sixth race at Martinsville Speedway. Falk and Mike Hillman formed Circle Sport to field the 33 team. The 33 team ran Martinsville with Hermie Sadler as a collaboration between Circle Sport and RCR. The team's first race under full Circle Sport control was at Texas, where Tony Raines drove an unsponsored Chevrolet. Falk planned to run a number of drivers in the car over the remainder of the season, including Raines,Jeff Green, Stephen Leicht, Austin Dillon, Hermie and Elliott Sadler, and C. E. Falk. However, in late May it was announced that Leicht would be competing for the team for the majority of the remainder of the season, attempting to win Rookie of the Year honors, except for the June race at Michigan, where Childress ran the No. 33 for Austin Dillon.Cole Whitt also ran some races in a start-and-park role. Leicht would win Rookie of the Year honors despite competing in just 15 races, finishing with a team-best 26th at Watkins Glen.
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