Bobby Hillin Jr returns to NASCAR with T-Rex’s Winning Spirit

Do you remember what you were doing the day after your high school graduation?

While you were hanging out with the fam, maybe having a little shindig at the house, Bobby Hillin Jr was whipping around the track at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in the World 600 NASCAR Race… where 400 laps (and 600 miles later) he took 11th place. Makes your post-graduation look pretty tame eh?

Bobby went on to wow the racing world by winning race after race and ultimately being the youngest to win on a Superspeedway with his win at Talladega. He was only 22. This is a record that would stand for the next 19 years.

When at the age of 28 Bobby retired from his NASCAR career, he started a successful Hydro Excavation company called T-Rex Services in Houston, Texas.

Let’s put on the brakes for a second here (no pun intended)… Hydro WHAT?? Hydro Excavation is a process that uses pressurized water to break up soil and a high flow air vacuum to safely excavate   around active utilities and pipelines. Think shooting the dirt with your water hose and vacuuming it up with a shop vac to dig a hole… except 10,000 times stronger.

Bobby put as much passion into this new venture as he did his racing career and because of that, T-Rex is a successful company that is growing more every day. T-Rex is one of our beloved Schipul clients and last week they called our Schipul Media team with some news and an amazing opportunity.

Bobby was returning to the NASCAR track and they wanted us to come cover the event. We JUMPED at the chance. Dallas road trip? Yes please!

Courtney, JJ and I went to the Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas to see Bobby race in the #81 car… to be the media team… to do a job… Who knew you could learn so much about life at the race track?

Here are our Top 5 NASCAR Takeaways:

1. Sometimes it’s better to get out of the way and let someone else be the driver: After a promising start, unfortunately the car started having some problems in the rear end (not a good thing when you are entering a turn at 190 mph).   Bobby wanted to push the car but guaranteed the crew chief that he would end up ‘in the wall” if he continued to drive it the way he wanted to.   Since Bobby had only known this race team for a couple of weeks, he sensed they needed reassurance.   He suggested that they put another driver in the car to make sure it was not his error.   The other driver did experience the same problems and eased off the gas to and stayed in the car for the duration of the race (keep in mind that Bobby and T-Rex actually sponsored the car). Sometimes it’s hard to let go of the wheel but if you want to finish the race,   we’ve got to put our ego to the side and let someone else drive!
2. You aren’t going to make it to the top by yourself: And if you think you are, you’re wrong.
3. Work hard and play harder: Both Schipul and T-Rex live by this tenant. Your life is more than just your job! You should enjoy it.
4. Never EVER Give Up: Time after time Bobby had to pull into the pit because of the problems with the car. This didn’t stop him though. No matter how far behind he got from the number one car, Bobby kept racing. Winning isn’t always the most important thing; it’s the trying that counts.
5. Love on your clients: they’re the ones that got you where you are!!

Thanks again T-Rex team for having us out. We had an absolute blast and have nothing but love for Bobby and the #81 car.

And because we couldn’t leave it out… Here is our 6th NASCAR takeaway: The boys at NASCAR are too cute for words!