NEW CASTLE, Ind.—June 10, 2014— Fresh off the completion of the Eastern Storm Tour, one of the busiest weeks of the year for the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series, Tracy Hines had a quick turnaround in preparation for Indiana Midget Week, which kicks off for the Honda USAC National Midget Series Dirt Championship on Wednesday, June 11. Along with the five-race mini-series, the veteran will also compete with the Traxxas Silver Crown Series on Saturday, June 14, setting up a two-state day/night doubleheader that day.
Indiana Midget Week begins for Hines, who pilots the Parker Machinery/Powered by Toyota Spike, on Wednesday, June 11 at Gas City I-69 Speedway. Action then shifts to Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville on Thursday, June 12, Bloomington Speedway on Friday, June 13, Lawrenceburg Speedway on Saturday, June 14, with an event for the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series at Gateway Motorsports Park earlier that afternoon. The 2014 edition of Indiana Midget Week concludes on Sunday, June 15 at Kokomo Speedway.
Hines, who has one-career Indiana Midget Week win, claimed the mini-series title in 2008, and was co-champion with Brad Kuhn in 2010.
“These couple of weeks really test what your team is made of,” said Hines. “We were fortunate enough to get a lot of work done prior to the East Coast races in preparation for Indiana Midget Week. We drove straight through after the rainout on Sunday night (at Susquehanna Raceway Park in Pennsylvania) to get an extra day in the shop to make sure we are ready for this week. Hopefully Mother Nature cooperates and we can get all the nights in and put on some good shows for the fans.”
Last season Hines opened Indiana Midget Week with a runner-up finish at Gas City. He was victorious earlier this season at the quarter-mile with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series, coming from the 10th starting position. Hines has three-career USAC National feature events wins at Gas City, with all three coming with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series. In a midget, he has finished among the top-10 in each of his last four starts at the track.
The native of New Castle, Indiana, finished fourth at Lincoln Park Speedway during Indiana Midget Week last year. Hines has won twice with the Honda USAC National Midget Series at Lincoln Park Speedway. The first of those was in 1997 and the most recent came in 2001. He will be making his first start of 2014 this week at the five-sixteenths-mile.
Hines started second during Indiana Midget Week at Bloomington Speedway last year, but a DNF (did not finish) relegated him to a 20th-place finish. He has one-career USAC National win at the quarter-mile, in Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series competition in 2005. Last season, he made a trio of starts at Bloomington, with two of those in a sprint car and one in a midget.
The versatile driver finished 10th at Lawrenceburg Speedway during Indiana Midget Week in 2013. He was victorious at the three-eighths-mile in a midget in 2010. Hines has made one start at Lawrenceburg thus far in 2014, finishing 19th with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series.
Hines has one-career Honda USAC National Midget Series win at Kokomo Speedway, with that coming in 2000. Last year during Indiana Midget Week, he finished 23rd after a mechanical problem ended his night early. Hines picked up wins in 2011 and 2012 in a midget during the season-ending Kokomo Clash at the quarter-mile.
“We’ve only had a handful of midget races so far this year, but we’ve been pretty solid in each,” Hines said. “This is the week that can really separate you in the standings, so you want to make sure you are on top of everything and you don’t want to fall out of races. There is usually a great car count for (Indiana) Midget Week, and that puts a premium on qualifying well and being in the right spot to start the feature each night. It’s going to be intense racing each and every night and I like to believe we are ready for it.”
Hines is one of just two drivers that have competed in each of the six previous Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series events at Gateway Motorsports Park. The 2000 series champion won at the 1.25-mile paved oval in 2000, and also had a pair of runner-up finishes among his four top-five finishes at the track. Hines also has made two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Gateway in his career. This season with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series, Hines has three top-five finishes in three starts and is second in points aboard the Hughs Brothers/Midwest Sheet Metal Beast for Lightfoot Racing.
During last week’s Eastern Storm Tour with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series, Hines finished sixth at both Grandview Speedway and New Egypt Speedway and was 23rd at Port Royal Speedway, after an opening lap flip. The feature event at Lincoln Speedway fell to rain, as did the program at Susquehanna Speedway Park, following the completion of time trials. Hines is currently sixth in points with the series.
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.
