Hill brothers riding high after earning top Supercross major achievement since 1974
Supercross history was made last weekend in Detroit as Justin and Josh Hill finished seventh and 10th respectively, becoming the first set of siblings to finish together in the top 10 in a series event since 1974.
Motor City's Ford Field was the backdrop of this feat as the Hills and the rest of Supercross raced in the 10th round of the 2023 season.
The Hill brothers have proven all year that they can run well together and the tough, hard pack track in Detroit brought both brothers their best finishes.
“It was a tricky track because of the hard pack condition, and it was worrisome to me and Josh,” Justin explained. “We typically do better when it’s a little bit soft, just setup-wise. We got there and noticed it was going to be the opposite of where our machines typically perform the best.”
Josh started the final lap in 11th place as fans and competitors alike were cheering and hoping for what could’ve been Aaron Plessinger’s first career 450 win. The crowd favorite ended up falling down while leading and ultimately finished 16th, bumping Josh into the top 10.
“In Detroit, I struggled a little bit early with the track," Josh recounted his path to the Main, “ I just wasn’t my speed, didn’t feel right. I qualified 16th, when I’ve been trending further and further forward every week and qualifying like that took me a step back.
"I didn’t make it straight out of the heat race and had to go to LCQ (last chance qualifying). So the day started off a little bit rough but once I made the main I was fired up to try and put my best laps when it counted. I didn’t get the best start and just kept picking my way forward until I got up into 11th place. Unfortunately, Aaron Plessinger had his crash while leading. It was unfortunate for him but it bumped me up into the top 10. It was a bit of a silver lining.”
The silver lining was thin with both brothers paying more attention to the heartbreak of Plessinger than what they just accomplished and Josh would’ve traded in his top-10 for a different outcome.
"I would’ve taken 11th place to watch him win that race. That’s heartbreaking but for me, it worked out. I know Aaron will bounce back and he’ll probably be fired up to win this weekend in Seattle.
“It was such a heartbreaker, me and Josh both came off the track and after we saw that, it was really on our mind,” Justin explained how he viewed the crash. “It didn’t even really dawn on Josh that he had gotten into the top 10 with Aaron’s crash. We were just watching Aaron and feeling terrible for him. We weren’t counting that position in our heads, we didn’t realize until later that we were seven and 10, that’s a really neat night.”
"It’s pretty crazy,” Josh said of the duo’s top tens. “I never really thought much about it. I know the Lawrence brothers and the Martin brothers have had great success racing against each other but that’s always been in the 250 class. My brother and I have both flirted with retirement from the sport.
"Justin became a sheriff's deputy in the county we grew up in and I stepped away and worked in sports marketing at Monster for a few years. It just worked out for us to both be on the Teter Motorsports Monster Energy team. It’s been a blast. Getting the top 10 together was the goal the whole time. It's awesome that we finally were able to accomplish that.”
Hometown Crowds and a Technical Course
Josh and Justin have yet to have the chance to talk about their historic run together since they’ve been taking different paths to get ready for Round 11 in Seattle, which is the series' only stop in the Pacific Northwest and serves as the Hill’s hometown arena.
Josh spent the week in North Carolina training near his current home while Justin headed out of the PNC early to rest and spend time with his and his wife's family. It was a choice that the younger of the two drivers has been making since a few weeks into the season to rest between Supercross weekends and not drain his body and mind before the big races.
“I was hitting the week between races hard at the beginning of the year,” Justin explained. “I put myself in a situation where I was just going backwards and I was running myself down. You’re putting your whole self out there every Saturday.
"These last few weeks I’ve been doing minimal during the week and showing up to the weekends feeling more energized. It’s the secret sauce from where I was to where I am now, honestly. (I'm) doing nothing on purpose.”
Racing Together under Team Tedder
The pair of top tens at Detroit propelled the brothers into Seattle this weekend, a track that is often wet and technical, where both are predicted to do well. This comes from both the hometown advantage of the crowd and the methodical way both riders take to a Supercross course.
The brothers are taking on the 2023 season for the first time together as they compete for the Team Tedder/ Monster Energy / Mountain Motorsports/ KTM Racing team. Justin, 27 returns to the sport after a two-year hiatus, and older brother Josh, 33 joins a few years removed from his own break from the sport.
Justin elected to take a year off in 2021 when his daughter was born because none of the deals on the table were right for him and other things felt more important. Like spending his daughter's first year with her and becoming a sheriff's deputy in his home county to fight the opioid epidemic.
“Spending the time with my daughter and watching the first year of her life, I will take that decision to the grave as one of the better decisions in my life,” he said.
Justin planned to return in 2022, but a shoulder injury changed his trajectory, sidelining him for another year. Heading into the 2023 season, Justin received a call from his older brother Josh letting him know that Team Tedder wanted them both and Justin received another on par with those that were on the table when he first stepped away from the sport.
Josh had also taken time away from the sport when he transitioned into sports marketing at Monster Energy for a few years before being pulled back into the arena. He considers this to be his fourth and final lease on his career.
While Justin is having better finishes most weeks than Josh, he’s happy to pull the occasional upset on his brother and also acknowledges that this is just a building year for his brother and predicts that he’ll be in the conversations for podiums before his career is done.
“The last year he raced he finished in the top 10 of the 410 class," Josh reminded AutoRacingDigest.com of Justin’s 2020 season. “He’s a past champion and he’s one of the most talented riders in the world.
"People forget that he stepped away from his career not because of any injuries, he just wanted a little break. So he’s still got a healthy body. I feel like his best days are still ahead of him.
"For me to sneak a win in on him feels great. I think this is just a building year for him to get back into the sport. He’ll be battling for top fives and podiums in no time.”
Seattle this weekend is the next backdrop for Justin and Josh to build on their success and historic moment.