NEW CASTLE, Ind.—November 19, 2014 — The list of drivers who have won the Western World Championships is a venerable “Who’s Who” of open wheel racing. Tracy Hines added his name to the prestigious list in 2011, when the event was held at then-USA Raceway in Tucson, Arizona, and split between sprint car and midget events. He returns to the history-laden event this week as it now calls Canyon Speedway Park in Arizona home for the third consecutive year, hosting the Honda USAC National Midget Series.
The 47th Annual Sands Chevrolet USAC Western World Championships at Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Arizona, open on Thursday, November 20, continue on Friday, November 21, and conclude on Saturday, November 22. The Honda USAC National Midget Series will headline the event and will be joined by the USAC Southwest Sprint Car Series and USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series. A full racing program will be in store each night for the Honda USAC National Midget Series, with $7,500 awaiting the winner on Saturday night.
“The Western World has always been a huge event,” said Hines, who drives the Parker Machinery/Powered by Toyota Spike. “Growing up in the Midwest you always heard about it and getting to run the last few years has been great. We won it in a sprint car a few years back and really would like to add a midget win to that. We’ve been close to winning all year in the midget on the dirt and have three chances this week.”
Last season during the Western World Championships, Hines finished fourth in the finale of the three-night event for the Honda USAC National Midget Series. He was sixth in the opener and 13th on the middle night. Hines also took part in the sprint car portion, coming home second on the second preliminary night, with the field split on each of the first two nights. The veteran driver finished fourth in the finale at the three-eighths-mile.
Last weekend at Canyon Speedway Park, Hines was victorious with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series. He started on the outside of the front row and took the lead at the start and paced all 30 laps to earn his second win of the season with the series in the penultimate round of the 2014 campaign. On the second night at Canyon, he battled driveline problems early in the night and after using a provisional worked his way up to 17th when the checkered flag flew.
Hines has a total of four sprint car wins at Canyon Speedway Park in his career, with the first three coming during the 2012 edition of the Winter Freeze event. He has raced at the track in each of the last four seasons. He has finished among the top-10 in 15 of his 17 starts at the track in sprint car and midget competition.
“Picking up a sprint car win last weekend was a great way to end that season,” said Hines. “We had some bad luck the following night, but that’s part of it in this sport. You often go from one extreme to the other. I’ve always felt pretty comfortable at Canyon and we were good in the midget last year, so some of what worked should help us again this week. We really need to get a win or two in the midget before the year ends.”
With the Honda USAC National Midget Series this season, Hines was victorious on the pavement at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis during the Night Before the 500 in May. On the dirt, he has 12 top-10 finishes in 12 starts, with eight of those being top-five showings. He is currently third in points, just two markers out of second, with four nights of racing remaining on the 2014 docket. Following the Western World Championships, the series heads to Perris Auto Speedway in Southern California, for the Turkey Night Grand Prix next week.
Tracy Hines Racing would like to thank: Parker Machinery, Powered by Toyota, Turbines, Inc., Afco Racing Shocks, Schoenfeld, Stanton Racing Engines, Daum Motorsport, Indiana Underground, Hoosier, Bell and Drivin Racing Oil.
For more information on Tracy Hines Racing, visit http://www.tracyhinesracing.
