NEW CASTLE, Ind. — June 30, 2013— Tracy Hines hadn’t turned a wheel at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado, since 2005, but that didn’t faze him as was victorious in the Honda USAC National Midget Series portion of the Rocky Mountain Classic at the one-mile oval on Saturday, June 28. He followed that up with another podium finish with the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series.
In qualifying for the 25-lap Honda USAC National Midget Series race at Pikes Peak, Hines was fourth-fastest, turning a lap of 26.989-seconds. He started on outside of the second row in the Parker Machinery/Powered by Toyota Spike and ran among the top-five for the duration of the race. Hines was third with two laps to go when leader Kyle Hamilton ran out of fuel and second-place running Darren Hagen got boxed in, allowing Hines to take the lead on the high side of the track. He wouldn’t look back, powering to his first Honda USAC National Midget Series win of the season.
“These races are definitely never over until the checkered flag comes out and that’s why you have to drive every lap as hard as you can, because you never know what could happen,” said Hines. “It always feels great to win. I’ve been pretty fortunate over the years at Pikes Peak and have a good handle on the race track and the set-up it takes to be fast and run up front. It’s a long trip out to Colorado, but when you pick up a win, it makes that long drive worth it.”
The native of New Castle, Ind., started on the outside of the front row for the 100-lap USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series event, after qualifying second with a lap of 25.687-seconds. Hines took the lead at the drop of the green flag from pole sitter Kody Swanson. He would lead the first four circuits, before Brian Tyler got around him to take the point. Hines would fall back to sixth just prior to the halfway point of the 100-lapper, before working his way back forward to finish third in the Lightfoot Racing No. 16.
“We had a great starting spot on the front row and took advantage of that at the beginning of the race,” he shared. “A lot can happen over the course of 100 laps, especially as the fuel burns off. Later in the race the car was a little different than it was at the start, but to come away with a podium finish, you can’t be upset with that, especially after the trouble we had at Gateway (Motorsports Park) a few weeks ago. It was good to get a solid finish.”
Hines is currently fourth in the Honda USAC National Midget Pavement Championship standings, just six markers out of the top spot. The series returns to action on July 27 at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, with the running of the Rich Vogler Classic. In the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series standings, the 2000 series champion is also fourth, only four markers out of third and 26 behind the point leader. The next USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series race is slated for July 27 at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. Hines will be back at the track this week for three Honda USAC National Midget Dirt Championship events, along with a race for the USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series.
“It’s that time of the year when we are it just about 24/7,” Hines explained. “If we are not at the track we are in the shop getting cars ready for the next race. We have three midget races on the dirt this week and a sprint race as well, so we’ll certainly stay busy. As a driver, the more you race the better you feel and you can get into a good rhythm and keep it.”
Tracy Hines Racing would like to thank: Hansen’s Welding Inc., Parker Machinery, Motor City Auto Transport, Turbines, Inc., Afco Racing Products, Daum Crop Insurance, Schoenfeld Headers, Allstar Performance, Kenny’s Components, Race Bumpers and Bell Racing.
For more information on Tracy Hines Racing, visit http://www.tracyhinesracing.com. Follow Tracy on Twitter atwww.Twitter.com/TracyHinesRacin.
