Dustin Hillenburg Bio
Andrew Miles Hillenburg, commonly known as Andy Hillenburg, is an American former professional stock car racing driver and a long-time team owner and track owner. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, he built a versatile career that spanned short tracks, the ARCA Menards Series, and selected starts in NASCAR national series. Today he is best known for running Fast Track Racing and for reviving Rockingham Speedway after it lost its NASCAR dates.
Early Life and Background
Hillenburg was born on April 30, 1963, in Indianapolis, Indiana, a city steeped in motorsports tradition. He grew up surrounded by the culture of oval racing and competition, which shaped his early interest in cars. That early environment helped him gravitate toward competitive driving at a young age.
He began his racing career at age eleven, when he competed in the Indianapolis soap box derby. The experience introduced him to the discipline of preparing a machine, managing a run, and chasing a finish line. He later moved into quarter midgets, where he won the state quarter midget championships every year from 1975 through 1979, establishing a strong foundation in race craft before stepping into stock cars.
Path to NASCAR
Hillenburg progressed through late-model and short-track competition before reaching the ARCA Super Car Series. In 1995 he captured the ARCA Super Car Series Championship, working with three-time ARCA Champion Bob Dotter as his crew chief. That same year he won the Daytona ARCA 200, the premier event in the series, signaling his arrival as a serious contender.
His strong ARCA results opened the door to NASCAR national-series opportunities. He made select starts in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, while continuing to develop his own team. Those efforts helped position him as both a driver and an owner capable of moving between series.
Dustin Hillenburg Career
Early Career (1975–1994)
During the late 1970s Hillenburg built his resume by winning consecutive state quarter midget titles. He later transitioned into stock car racing, working his way through regional and national short-track events. These years gave him the mechanical understanding and race-management skills that would later define his success in ARCA and NASCAR.
As his program matured, he began fielding his own cars in the NASCAR Busch Series, entering one race each in 1992 and 1993 in his No. 42 entry. In 1994 he attempted six Busch Series races but qualified for only one, an early lesson in the demands of NASCAR-level competition. Those seasons laid the groundwork for a more competitive stretch ahead.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (1995–1997)
Hillenburg’s defining moment as a driver came in 1995, when he won the ARCA Super Car Series Championship with Bob Dotter calling the shots. He added the 1995 Daytona ARCA 200 that same season, cementing his status at the top of the series. The combination of consistent finishes and a marquee victory gave him national visibility.
He returned to Daytona and won the Daytona ARCA 200 again in 1997, proving the first triumph was no fluke. Those ARCA successes provided the credibility and sponsorship appeal needed to pursue limited NASCAR starts while continuing to expand his ownership footprint.
NASCAR National Series (1992–2003)
Across his NASCAR career, Hillenburg logged sixteen Winston Cup starts, nine Busch Series starts, and four Craftsman Truck Series starts. His best NASCAR result was a third-place finish in the 1999 NAPA Auto Parts 300, where he drove the No. 18 MBNA Pontiac Grand Prix for Joe Gibbs Racing. He also competed in the 2000 Indianapolis 500, finishing 28th in the IndyCar event.
As an owner, he entered one Busch Series race in both 1992 and 1993 in his No. 42 car, then attempted six races in 1994. His team returned briefly in 1997 at Dover with a No. 25 entry, his final Busch Series attempt as a car owner in that series. In the Truck Series, he fielded a No. 10 truck in two 2003 races before later scaling the program.
Fast Track Racing Era (2007–Present)
Hillenburg operates Fast Track Racing and the Fast Track High Performance Driving School. The team currently fields multiple entries in the ARCA Menards Series, including the Nos. 01, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Fast Track also previously fielded the No. 47 and No. 48 trucks in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series from 2007 through 2010.
The team’s most prominent NASCAR Cup Series attempt came at the 2007 Daytona 500, when it entered the No. 71 Ford driven by Frank Kimmel, though the car did not qualify for the race. Despite that setback, Fast Track Racing has remained a consistent presence in ARCA and a developmental platform for emerging talent.
Rockingham Speedway Revival
On October 2, 2007, Hillenburg purchased North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina, for $4.4 million, acquiring the facility from Speedway Motorsports Inc. The track had not hosted a NASCAR event since 2004, and Hillenburg set out to return racing to the venue. The ARCA RE/MAX Series raced at Rockingham in the Carolina 500 on May 4, 2008, and returned again in 2009.
In 2012 Rockingham hosted its first NASCAR-sanctioned race since closing, a Camping World Truck Series event on April 15, and returned to the schedule in 2013. The track was later removed from the 2014 Truck Series schedule, but Hillenburg’s investment kept Rockingham alive as a working short track and a home for ARCA competition.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hillenburg was known for a methodical, consistent style built on mechanical sympathy and clean race execution. Working with veteran crew chief Bob Dotter sharpened his race-craft and race-trim setup work. His comfort on intermediate ovals and short tracks translated across ARCA, NASCAR, and the Indianapolis 500.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments include his 1995 ARCA championship, back-to-back Daytona ARCA 200 wins in 1995 and 1997, and a third-place finish in the 1999 NAPA Auto Parts 300 at Joe Gibbs Racing. His appearance in the 2000 Indianapolis 500 and his purchase of Rockingham Speedway in 2007 round out a career marked by both on-track and off-track achievements.
Dustin Hillenburg Career Wins
Hillenburg’s verified wins are anchored in the ARCA Menards Series, highlighted by two Daytona ARCA 200 victories in 1995 and 1997. His 1995 ARCA Super Car Series Championship remains his most significant career title. No verified NASCAR national-series wins are supported by the available sources, and totals for other series remain unclear, so additional win tables are omitted.
ARCA Menards Series Highlights
Hillenburg captured the 1995 ARCA Super Car Series Championship with three-time ARCA Champion Bob Dotter serving as crew chief. He won the Daytona ARCA 200 in both 1995 and 1997, the most prestigious events on the ARCA calendar. Those results established him as one of the top drivers of his ARCA era.
Other Wins and Performances
Earlier in his career, Hillenburg won the state quarter midget championships every year from 1975 through 1979, an unusually long run of consecutive titles. He also earned a third-place finish in the 1999 NAPA Auto Parts 300, his best recorded NASCAR national-series result.
Dustin Hillenburg Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Hillenburg’s parents and extended racing lineage is limited. His roots in Indianapolis placed him at the center of American motorsports culture from a young age, which shaped his early entry into soap box derby and quarter midget competition.
Personal Life
Hillenburg has been married since 1991 and is the father of four children. Beyond that, his personal life has been kept largely private, with most public attention focused on his racing, team ownership, and work restoring Rockingham Speedway.
2025 Season Performance
Hillenburg continues to operate Fast Track Racing as a multi-car ARCA Menards Series team in 2025, fielding the Nos. 01, 9, 10, 11, and 12. His program remains a key developmental pipeline for young drivers moving through the ARCA ladder toward NASCAR national series. The team’s deep entry list reflects steady sponsorship and equipment partnerships built over nearly two decades.
On the track, Fast Track Racing’s 2025 focus is on consistent finishes, owner-points contention, and giving emerging drivers seat time at a variety of tracks. Hillenburg’s long-standing ties with crew chiefs and engine builders across the ARCA paddock continue to support the team’s weekly competitiveness.
Looking ahead, Hillenburg’s dual role as a team owner and a track owner at Rockingham Speedway keeps him closely tied to the short-track ecosystem. Any return of NASCAR national-series racing to Rockingham would further amplify Fast Track Racing’s visibility heading into future seasons.