Brandon Hill, who rode the bus to Talladega to watch Grant race a few months ago, passed away earlier this week. Brandon who suffered from a rare genetic disorder, battled through his problems with the help of his parents Mike and Janice. Mike Hill carried Brandon from the bus into the Talladega grandstands and back, so his son could experience as much of life as possible.

BRANDON HILL WITH GRANT AT TALLADEGA IN APRIL

Mike and Janice did everything they could for their brave son. They could have easily placed Brandon in a facility where they could have been spared the heartache and physical burdens of caring for Brandon. They chose instead to take care of their child on their own, and that care caused Brandon to live as long and well as he did. While Grant is out hustling for sponsorship and trying to make the next race, he, Zac and the other young crew members need to remember how lucky they are to stand up, walk, talk and enjoy their lives. Athletes and race car drivers aren’t real heroes folks like Mike and Janice are.

NASCAR Cup racer Michael Waltrip, one of the announcers for Speed TV’s coverage of last Friday’s ARCA race at Chicagoland Speedway, noted that the BeasleyAllen.com car was posting the fastest times during the closing laps of the 150 mile race. So why didn’t Grant win the race when he had the fastest car at the end? The answer can be traced to a pit stop in which a NASCAR crew made a mistake which cost Grant track position, requiring Grant to pass cars to regain the 3rd position on the track. Grant was never passed on the track, but losing time in a pit stop could not be overcome. The NASCAR pit crew was hired to give Grant the best possible chance to win the race. Unfortunately, that decision backfired on the BeasleyAllen.com team.

CREW CHIEF HOWARD BIXMAN WITH GRANT AT CHICAGO

Grant, during the final 10 laps of the race, was faster than the leader and ultimate winner, Patrick Sheltra. Between Sheltra and Grant was the #55 car of Steve Arpin. When Grant came up along side Arpin’s car, Arpin pinned Grant to the bottom, causing Grant’s car to be come “aero–tight” which is a condition caused by the side drafting of the 2 cars. “The car was already tightening up at the end of the race and when Arpin pinned me to the bottom, I just could not stay in the gas and turn the car.” Camping World Truck veteran Rick Crawford watched the race from the BeasleyAllen.com pit and noted that Grant could have taken Arpin out of the race, by spinning the #55, giving Grant 2nd place and providing a clear shot to the front. “I wanted to win the race badly, but I am not going to crash another driver who has raced me cleanly. Besides,we can’t afford to get into a crash contest. We would run out of cars before the other guys use up all their cars.”

While there are remaining ARCA races on television at Kansas (where Grant finished 3rd in 2009) and Rockingham, there are no plans to make those races, although Grant continues to search for sponsorhip for either or both of those races. “We raced an extra race with BeasleyAllen beyond the scheduled races. BeasleyAllen has been one of the most consistent sponsors in the ARCA circuit the past 2 years, and we have tried to give the firm its money’s worth in exposure and support for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I can’t thank the firm enough for allowing me to pursue my dream of big time stock car racing. I am going to continue to pursue my motor sports career. Whatever I am able to do in the future will be due to a large extent on what BeasleyAllen has done for me.”