NEW CASTLE, Ind.—May 20, 2014— When it comes to open wheel racing in the state of Indiana, it doesn’t get much more historic that the Tony Hulman Classic, Hoosier Hundred and Night Before the 500. That’s the slate of races awaiting Tracy Hines this week as the schedule kicks into high gear for USAC National drivers.
Hines opens the trio of races on Wednesday, May 21 at the Terre Haute Action Track, aboard The Carolina Nut Company DRC, for the running of the Tony Hulman Classic for the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series. Action then shifts on Thursday, May 22 to the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, where he’ll pilot the No. 16 Hughs Brothers/Midwest Sheet Metal Beast for Lightfoot Racing with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series. The string of events will conclude on Saturday, May 24 at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, and the Visit Hendricks County Night Before the 500 for the Honda USAC National Midget Series, with Hines strapping into the Parker Machinery/Powered by Toyota Spike.
Hines has raced once already this season at the Terre Haute Action Track, coming home second with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series in April. He was the fastest qualifier at the half-mile for that event and also led a lap. Last season, with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series at Terre Haute, Hines finished third in the Tony Hulman Classic, which was postponed by rain, and run on August 31. He also raced at the half-mile during Indiana Sprint Week. Hines has won three races at Terre Haute in his career with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series, including the 2001 Tony Hulman Classic. His most recent victory at the historic oval came in 2003.
“It’s been a few weeks since we had a sprint car race, so I am itching to back behind the wheel of The Carolina Nut Company machine,” said Hines. “We have mostly bigger tracks coming up when we head to the East Coast, so Terre Haute will be a good tune-up for those. We were strong at Eldora (Speedway) last month and feel like we have a solid big-track program this year.”
Hines started and finished third in the Hoosier Hundred last season. He has taken the checkered flag among the top-10 in each of his last five starts in the event. In his career with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, Hines has 12 top-10 finishes in 14 starts, with five of those being top-five performances. He has three third-places finishes at the one-mile track as he chases his first win there.
“Being from Indiana, there is nothing quite like racing at the Indy Mile,” he shared. “There are so many race fans in the area that week and to give them another option on a weeknight is great. Last year we were pretty strong on all three mile tracks, so we are looking to build on that and to see if we can gain one more spot from the first dirt Silver Crown race (Terre Haute, second-place finish) this year.”
The veteran driver finished fourth last weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series. He was second-fastest in time trials of the 18 drivers that took to the 0.686-mile. Hines is the winningest driver in USAC National competition at the track located just outside of Indianapolis, with 13 triumphs. The native of New Castle, Indiana, won the Night Before the 500 in 20012, and came home third in the event last year. He was victorious with the Honda USAC National Midget Series at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in July during the annual “Speedfest” weekend.
“Racing at IRP (Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis) last weekend certainly helps, even though a midget is so much different than a Silver Crown car,” said Hines. “I’ve gotten around that place really well throughout my career and last year we were fast in the midget right out of the box every time we went there. We only have a few asphalt midget races this year, so we want certainly want to make the most of them.”
Hines enters this week’s races fourth in points with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series and is second in the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series standings, just nine markers out of the lead. The Night Before the 500 will serve as the first race of the year for the Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship, which is again separate from the Dirt Championship in 2014.
Tracy Hines Racing would like to thank Primary Sponsors: The Carolina Nut Company, Hansen’s Welding Inc, Elliott’s Custom Trailers and Carts, and MPHG Promotions Inc. Associate Sponsors for 2014 include: ProSource Professional Resources, Turbines Inc., Daum Crop Insurance, Parker Machinery, Stanton Racing Engines and Schipper Family Farms. Product Sponsors that are part of Tracy Hines Racing in 2014 include: Afco Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Autonet Mobile, Indy Race Parts, Bell Racing, Kenny’s Components, Race Bumpers, Hoosier Racing Tires, CSI Competition Suspension, Shadow Graphix, Driven Racing Oil, Sander Engineering, Hughs Brothers and Midwest Sheet Metal.
For more information on Tracy Hines Racing, visit http://www.tracyhinesracing.com. Follow Tracy on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TracyHinesRacin and “Like him” on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Tracyhinesracing.
