Following Winged Sprint Car Win, Tracy Hines Returns to USAC Sprint Competition

By Tracy Hines Racing PR

Tracy Hines RPM Graphix — Tracy Hines
RPM Graphix

NEW CASTLE, Ind.—September 16, 2015— With a break in the USAC schedule last weekend, Tracy Hines hit the track aboard his winged sprint car and found himself in victory lane in what was just his fifth appearance ever in a winged car, which he admits he is still learning. This weekend, he will return to a more familiar element, as he competes in a pair of races with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series in his home state of Indiana.

In the World Series of Dirt at Plymouth Speedway in Indiana, on Saturday, September 12, Hines was able to get around Tyler Courtney on the 19^th lap on the low side of the three-eighths-mile to take the lead and ultimately the win. Hines bested winged sprint car veterans Kody Kinser and Randy Hannagan for the win that pitted both 360- and 410-winged sprint cars against each other.

“I’m still learning how to drive a winged sprint car and I’ve got a lot to learn,” said Hines in victory lane. “I think this win is a good start. We’ve only run it a few times this year and continue to gain valuable information and experience each time. Hopefully we’ll get to run it a few more times this year later in the season.”

Hines returns to action this weekend in the “Tony Hulman and Jim Hurtubise Classics” at the Terre Haute Action Track for the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series on Friday, September 18. The double was necessitated after rain forced the postponement of the originally-scheduled “Tony Hulman Classic” back in May. On Saturday, September 19, he will head to Tri-State Speedway for the “Haubstadt Hustler” which will be co-sanctioned by the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series and Midwest Sprint Car Series (MSCS).

“It’s been a few weeks since we ran the sprint car, during the Smackdown at Kokomo, so we are anxious to get back out there,” said Hines, who drives the Carolina Nut Company DRC. “Going from the winged car last weekend to the non-wing car this weekend, may take a lap or two to get re-acclimated. We have a good stretch of sprint car races coming up, so hopefully we can put ourselves in good positions each night and contend for wins down the stretch.”

Hines has made one start at the Terre Haute Action Track this season, with that coming in July with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series. He ran ninth in that 100-lap event, after qualifying 11^th, which marked his first race back after suffering a broken collarbone a few weeks earlier. Hines who won the Tony Hulman Classic in 2001 with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series, made three starts with the series at Terre Haute last year, finishing eighth in each. He has three career sprint car wins in USAC competition at the historic half-mile.

“It’s kind of hard to believe that it’s September and we have not run a sprint car show at Terre Haute this year,” shared Hines. “We were decent there last year and ran pretty well on the bigger tracks out East earlier this year, so that should help us this weekend at Terre Haute.”

The native of New Castle, Indiana, has also made just one start at Tri-State Speedway in 2015. He finished sixth with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series at the quarter-mile in April. He timed in fifth-fastest in that event and ran fourth in a heat race and started second and led the first two laps of the main event. Hines has one-career Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series win at Tri-State Speedway, with that coming in his championship winning season of 2002.

“The fall race at Haubstadt is always a big one,” said Hines. “We were pretty good there in the spring and started up front and were able to lead, but unfortunately the car went during the feature. We know what not to do for the feature this time, so hopefully we make the right changes to give ourselves a shot at the end of the 30 laps.”

Entering this weekend’s pair of races, Hines is ninth in points with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series. He finished fourth and 10^th in his most recent pair of races with the series in late August during the Fourth Edition of the Smackdown at Kokomo Speedway. Hines has 19 top-10 finishes in Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series action this season, with eight of those being top-five performances.

Tracy Hines Racing would like to thank Primary Sponsors: The Carolina Nut Company, Powered by Toyota and Parker Machinery. Associate Sponsors for 2015 include: Elliott’s Custom Trailers and Carts, Hansen’s Welding Inc, MPHG Promotions Inc., Turbines Inc.and Hughs Brothers. Product Sponsors that are part of Tracy Hines Racing in 2015 include: Afco Racing Products, Hoosier Racing Tires, Indy Race Parts, Schoenfeld Headers, Shadow Graphix, Bell Racing, Earl’s Performance Products, Autonet Mobile, ProSource Professional Resources, Race Bumpers, Driven Racing Oil, Sander Engineering and Kenny’s Components.