The Iron-Man Late Model Series launched in 2016 and was closely followed by the Iron-Man Open Wheel Modified Series the following season. Then, as if Tilley didn’t have enough on his already loaded plate, he purchased the MARS Racing Series from William Scogin prior to last season.
He conducts his races — 30 among the three series — with the help of a four-man crew that Tilley says should get most of the credit for making things run smoothly.
“I’ve got some of the best officials in the country,” Tilley said. “There are just five of us that come in and put on my races. I couldn’t do it without them — Michael Despain, Tommy Yates, Wayne Maybrier and Noel Hargis. Those are four awesome people and I couldn’t do it without them. They have helped make these series a success, it sure wasn’t me.”
Oh, Tilley also has a day job.
In addition to all his work in the motorsports world, Tilley is the transportation director for the Science Hill Independent School District in Science Hill, Ky.
“If I need to make a few phone calls during the day, my boss is OK with that,” Tilley said. “I’ve got a great boss here at the school system. I drove a bus for 11 years in the Somerset (Ky.) district before I took the job here as transportation director.”
He also spends some of his hard-to-find free time working as a high school basketball referee, a position he has held for the last 17 years.
“Basketball and racing are my two true loves,” Tilley acknowledged. “I absolutely love basketball. I think the state of high school basketball here in Kentucky is just phenomenal. It’s unlike any other state.”
It’s a wonder Tilley manages to get everything done that’s on his plate. He admits he rarely gets more than four hours of sleep on any given night. He’s usually up by 5 a.m. and at work by 6.
He claims a half a pot of coffee and a biscuit go a long toward helping him through the day.
“I try to go to bed around 11 or 12 o’clock at night and I’m usually up by 5,” Tilley said. “I toss and turn a little bit, so if I can get four hours of sleep at night I’m doing pretty good. When I do get some time off, I try and cherish those moments. I’m not married, no kids, so I think that enables me to do a little bit more. Not that I’m any better than anybody that does have kids or a wife, I think it just enables me to go a little quicker maybe.”
Tilley says the hardest part of what he does is balancing schedules and making all the dates mesh among his responsibilities for Cook, managing his own touring series and working his day job. Tilley claims it certainly isn’t a walk in the park.
“The hardest part of what I do is putting the schedules together to make sure all the pieces of the puzzle fit,” Tilley explained. “Believe it or not, with all the races we had last year in 2018, we overlapped twice. That was it. We worked so hard to schedule those races. This year we currently, without rain, have one that overlaps.
“I wonder sometimes how I find the time to do it all. You just get it done. I just wonder where the time goes sometimes. It seems to all work out.”
So what keeps Tilley motivated to get up every day and continue his busy life? Why not give up this racing nonsense and enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle?
Not a chance, Tilley says.
“I say I’m going to retire every year,” he said with a laugh. “The appreciation from the teams and the fans keeps me motivated. They really appreciate what we’re doing for them and that means a lot. Our sponsors, everybody that makes it happen. It’s just very important.
“I’m just a little country boy from Pulaski County in Kentucky. I certainly enjoy doing what I do.”