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From That's Racin'
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star
Not too long ago, Shane Hmiel was one of the rising stars of NASCAR. Then, one mistake nearly cost him everything.
Hmiel enjoyed an impressive rookie season in the Busch series in 2002 and was a prime candidate to step into the famed No. 43 Petty Enterprises Nextel Cup car when he was suspended by NASCAR last September for violating the sport's substance-abuse policy.
While such incidents are not uncommon in baseball or football, they're almost unheard of in squeaky-clean NASCAR.
Hmiel, who was eighth in the Busch standings at the time of his suspension, was reinstated at the start of this season. He caught a ride with Billy Ballew Motorsports' NASCAR Craftsman Trucks team and is making the best of his second chance.
"You don't know how you could lose everything you've got until it happens, and it definitely happened," said a remorseful Hmiel, 24. "I'm a lot better person right now and definitely a better race-car driver."
Hmiel shook off the rust from a five-month layoff by finishing fourth in an ARCA car at Daytona, Fla., last February before climbing into Ballew's No. 15 Chevy Silverado. Hmiel has three top-10 finishes and should have won two weeks ago at Memphis, Tenn.
Hmiel led 62 laps and had a five-second lead with eight laps to go, but, given misinformation by his crew that a caution had been called, Hmiel slowed his truck and ended up finishing second, which was still the best trucks finish ever by Ballew Motorsports.
"One little mess-up in Memphis... that was the second week these guys have all worked together," said Hmiel, who is adjusting to racing a truck as well as working with a new team.
"It's taken some time because these trucks drive so much different. I'm finally starting to get it. I'm starting to feel what these trucks need. It's been a lot of fun. I like the trucks series. I like the tracks they run on, I like the guys who race in there. It's bumping and grinding, it's real racing."
Ballew, who tried four different drivers without much success last season, retooled his entire program this year with a new crew, new trucks and new engines from Dale Earnhardt Inc., and believes he's found the right driver in Hmiel.
"I know Shane's ability to drive a race car," Ballew said. "The other situation I don't discuss. It wasn't me taking a chance. Because of the lack of success we had last year, I couldn't have made a better choice. I view it as a good opportunity for all parties involved.
"We're all human, and everyone has made mistakes. He's probably a more focused race-car driver now. He has something to prove - not that he hadn't already proven it prior to this, as far as his ability. What he's done this season is tremendous."
The most difficult part of Hmiel's exile from racing was watching races on television each weekend.
"It's the only thing I ever lived for and ever wanted to do," said Hmiel, whose father, Steve, is a former Cup crew chief and is now technical director at Dale Earnhardt Inc. "To watch races on Saturdays was not fun. Racing is all I've got; when I lost it, it was all gone.
"But I have a great family and friends and they all helped me through it. I'm on my way back up right now."
Hmiel, who must undergo random testing, also visits schools as part of the D.A.R.E. program and warns youngsters to abstain from drugs.
"I was 21, and... making a couple of hundred thousand dollars and doing what you wanted to do since you're 9 years old," Hmiel said of his indiscretion. "Everything was given to you, the girls, and everything, and all the money you want. ... I don't blame it on that, but I was definitely taking things for granted."
Besides his regular ride in the trucks series, Hmiel has made five starts in the Busch series and while substituting for Kasey Kahne, he finished fourth at Milwaukee, the night after his 12th-place finish in the trucks race.
Hmiel led the Busch event for a race-high 95 laps before surrendering the lead with six laps to go.
"I don't think the trucks series is a step down from the Busch series at all," said Hmiel, who finished 16th in the Busch standings as a rookie and had third-place finishes at Texas at Talladega, Ala., among his 10 top-10 finishes before his suspension.
"You can go straight from trucks to Busch or Cup," Hmiel said. "I'm grateful Billy's asking me to drive for him. It opened the door. Other people said, "He's crazy to let that guy drive this truck.' He ended up looking pretty smart, and Billy is a smart guy."
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star
Not too long ago, Shane Hmiel was one of the rising stars of NASCAR. Then, one mistake nearly cost him everything.
Hmiel enjoyed an impressive rookie season in the Busch series in 2002 and was a prime candidate to step into the famed No. 43 Petty Enterprises Nextel Cup car when he was suspended by NASCAR last September for violating the sport's substance-abuse policy.
While such incidents are not uncommon in baseball or football, they're almost unheard of in squeaky-clean NASCAR.
Hmiel, who was eighth in the Busch standings at the time of his suspension, was reinstated at the start of this season. He caught a ride with Billy Ballew Motorsports' NASCAR Craftsman Trucks team and is making the best of his second chance.
"You don't know how you could lose everything you've got until it happens, and it definitely happened," said a remorseful Hmiel, 24. "I'm a lot better person right now and definitely a better race-car driver."
Hmiel shook off the rust from a five-month layoff by finishing fourth in an ARCA car at Daytona, Fla., last February before climbing into Ballew's No. 15 Chevy Silverado. Hmiel has three top-10 finishes and should have won two weeks ago at Memphis, Tenn.
Hmiel led 62 laps and had a five-second lead with eight laps to go, but, given misinformation by his crew that a caution had been called, Hmiel slowed his truck and ended up finishing second, which was still the best trucks finish ever by Ballew Motorsports.
"One little mess-up in Memphis... that was the second week these guys have all worked together," said Hmiel, who is adjusting to racing a truck as well as working with a new team.
"It's taken some time because these trucks drive so much different. I'm finally starting to get it. I'm starting to feel what these trucks need. It's been a lot of fun. I like the trucks series. I like the tracks they run on, I like the guys who race in there. It's bumping and grinding, it's real racing."
Ballew, who tried four different drivers without much success last season, retooled his entire program this year with a new crew, new trucks and new engines from Dale Earnhardt Inc., and believes he's found the right driver in Hmiel.
"I know Shane's ability to drive a race car," Ballew said. "The other situation I don't discuss. It wasn't me taking a chance. Because of the lack of success we had last year, I couldn't have made a better choice. I view it as a good opportunity for all parties involved.
"We're all human, and everyone has made mistakes. He's probably a more focused race-car driver now. He has something to prove - not that he hadn't already proven it prior to this, as far as his ability. What he's done this season is tremendous."
The most difficult part of Hmiel's exile from racing was watching races on television each weekend.
"It's the only thing I ever lived for and ever wanted to do," said Hmiel, whose father, Steve, is a former Cup crew chief and is now technical director at Dale Earnhardt Inc. "To watch races on Saturdays was not fun. Racing is all I've got; when I lost it, it was all gone.
"But I have a great family and friends and they all helped me through it. I'm on my way back up right now."
Hmiel, who must undergo random testing, also visits schools as part of the D.A.R.E. program and warns youngsters to abstain from drugs.
"I was 21, and... making a couple of hundred thousand dollars and doing what you wanted to do since you're 9 years old," Hmiel said of his indiscretion. "Everything was given to you, the girls, and everything, and all the money you want. ... I don't blame it on that, but I was definitely taking things for granted."
Besides his regular ride in the trucks series, Hmiel has made five starts in the Busch series and while substituting for Kasey Kahne, he finished fourth at Milwaukee, the night after his 12th-place finish in the trucks race.
Hmiel led the Busch event for a race-high 95 laps before surrendering the lead with six laps to go.
"I don't think the trucks series is a step down from the Busch series at all," said Hmiel, who finished 16th in the Busch standings as a rookie and had third-place finishes at Texas at Talladega, Ala., among his 10 top-10 finishes before his suspension.
"You can go straight from trucks to Busch or Cup," Hmiel said. "I'm grateful Billy's asking me to drive for him. It opened the door. Other people said, "He's crazy to let that guy drive this truck.' He ended up looking pretty smart, and Billy is a smart guy."
