10/31/2013
Sprint Source
Tracy Hines Wraps up the USAC Sprint Car Season at Perris
NEW CASTLE, Ind. — Oct. 31, 2013— It all began for Tracy Hines back in February in Florida, and after eight-plus months of racing and thousands of miles traveled, the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series season will come to a close this weekend at Perris Auto Speedway in California, with the running of the 18th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals.
The Oval Nationals open for Hines, who drives the Hansen’s Welding Inc./The Carolina Nut Company DRC, on Friday, Nov. 1 and conclude on Saturday, Nov. 2. The 40-lap finale on Saturday night will pay a season-high $15,000-to-win for the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series.
“The Oval Nationals are definitely one of the biggest events we have all year,” said Hines. “We get to see a lot of fans out there that we only see once a year, so we always want to put on the best show we can. Having a good-paying race late in the season always helps as well heading into the winter months when you have no races.”
Last year in the Oval Nationals, Hines finished second in the finale, after leading the first 37 laps of the 40-lap main event to record his best-career finish in the season-ending extravaganza for the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series. The 2002 series titlist came home fourth in the opener of the event to lock himself into the final night’s main event.
Hines started second in the 40-lap main Oval Nationals A-Feature on the final night of the event in 2012, following a six-car dash, which was comprised of the top-six finishers from the Friday night portion of the Oval Nationals. The native of New Castle, Ind., used a strong start to take the lead from polesitter Mike Spencer on the opening lap. He was out front on the 38th circuit when Spencer used a strong run beginning in turns one and two to take the lead in turns three and four. That pass ultimately was for the win.
Hines kicked-off last year’s edition of the Oval Nationals by turning the seventh-fastest lap in time trials of the 43 drivers that took to the track on the first night. He competed in the fourth, 10-lap heat race and finished in that same position to earn a spot in the 30-lap feature. Hines wrapped up that night with a fourth-place showing in the main event.
“We were close last year at Perris (Auto Speedway),” he shared. “It’s tough to lead that many laps and end up second. We had a couple of second-place finishes last weekend, so we are going to give it all we got to gain that one more spot. It’s been a while since we won in the sprint car and would be a good way to bookend the USAC season with a win or two this weekend.”
The veteran driver made his debut at Perris Auto Speedway in a Honda USAC Western Midget Series event 1995, finishing second on a one-third-mile track that preceded the current half-mile, which opened in 1996. The runner-up finish last year for Hines bested his previous top finish at the Oval Nationals, which had been a third-place showing in 2010.
“Perris (Auto Speedway) can be a tricky place,” said Hines. “With the caliber of cars that will be on-hand, starting position and track position in general will be important. We’ve put ourselves in a pretty good spot the last few races to be in contention and just have to put the whole night together, especially the last few laps of the feature. We have a good baseline for Perris and have been fast on all of the bigger tracks this year, so we have high hopes for the weekend.”
Hines enters the Oval Nationals sixth in points with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series. He has two wins on the season, coupled with 17 top-10 finishes.
Tracy Hines Racing would like to thank: Hansen’s Welding Inc., Parker Machinery, Turbines, Inc., Afco Racing Products, Daum Crop Insurance, Schoenfeld Headers, Allstar Performance, Kenny’s Components, Race Bumpers and Bell Racing.
For more information on Tracy Hines Racing, visit http://www.tracyhinesracing.com. Follow Tracy on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TracyHinesRacin.
Article Credit: Tracy Hines Racing PR
Submitted By: Admin Account
