By Dick Jordan
Tracy Hines of New Castle, Ind. is off to a roaring start in 2012 after taking three non-USAC sanctioned Sprint races in Arizona last week. He’ll try to increase his all-time USAC “active” feature victory record this week in USAC’s 2012 AMSOIL National Sprint Car openers at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla.
Hines has 77 career USAC National wins (41 in Sprints, 28 in Midgets and eight in Silver Crown) and would like nothing better than to keep his MP Environmental Services DRC/Shaver in victory lane. In his ongoing battle with Dave Darland for the all-time “active” USAC lead, he has only one more career win than Darland, who has 76 (34 in Sprints, 28 in Midgets and 14 in Silver Crown).
“Bubba’s Winter Dirt Games” presented by eBay Motors will feature three complete nights of sprint car action on the exciting 3/8-mile dirt oval. The racing programs, which also include the Florida Mini-Sprints, are the first of nearly 50 on the 2012 USAC AMSOIL calendar.
Hines is one of 16 drivers with USAC Sprint wins to their credit expected to compete at Ocala. Trailing Hines (41) and Darland (34) in the victory category are Levi Jones and Jon Stanbrough (27 each), Bud Kaeding (16), Bobby East (14), Jerry Coons Jr. and Damion Gardner (13 each), Bryan Clauson (11), Darren Hagen and Chris Windom (6 each), Hunter Schuerenberg (5), Robert Ballou (4), Brady Bacon and Casey Riggs (2 each) and Kody Swanson and Blake Fitzpatrick (1 each).
A practice session on Wednesday night, followed by a pre-race party for participants and fans at the Ocala WingHouse kick off the activities prior to the Florida openers.