Standout racer-turned-car owner Billy Hicks of Mount Airy, N.C., has tabbed 24-year-old Jeremy Steele of York, S.C., as the new driver of his No. 79 Longhorn Chassis, according to Kevin Kovac of DirtonDirt. Steele is slated to debut with Billy Hicks Racing in Saturday’s Southern All Star-Schaeffer’s Spring Nationals March Madness event at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, S.C.

Hicks turns to the driver recognized as one of DirtonDirt’s Top 25 Drivers 25-and-under in December after plans to chase the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series this season with Cory Hedgecock ended March 5. The team is now eyeing a 2026 schedule featuring select regional and national events.

“I want to put the fun in racing again,” Hicks told DirtonDirt. “I’ve been watching (Steele). He is ready to go to the next levels and we want to help him get there.”

Steele is coming off a stellar 2025 campaign in Crate Late Models that included six victories — four in five-figure events — highlighted by November’s Turkey 100 at Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway. He also secured the Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series championship in his rookie season on tour and recently finished runner-up in the Carolina Clash-sanctioned Red Rose Rumble at Lancaster (S.C.) Motor Speedway.

His biggest career victory came in the CRUSA 604 Series Turkey 100 at Swainsboro Raceway, where he earned $10,000 while topping a field that included Carson Ferguson, Trey Mills and Cody Overton. A Turkey 100 triumph over open-competition regulars and a June victory in the Volunteer 50 at Volunteer Speedway over Ricky Weiss and Cory Hedgecock is on his resume, too.

A former 2022 Mid-East 604 champion, Steele has won 29 Late Model features since debuting in 2021 while balancing full-time work as a lineman at Pike Electric.

“Very thankful for this opportunity and looking forward to it,” Steele said on social media.