7/29/2013
Sprint Source
Tracy Hines Sweeps Midget Program at Lucas Oil Raceway; Earns Top-Five in Silver Crown Race
NEW CASTLE, Ind. — July 28, 2013— Tracy Hines set the bar pretty high at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis on Saturday, July 27, en route to winning with the Honda USAC National Midget Series. The veteran driver swept the event by being fastest in time trials, winning the first qualifying Scramble and leading 26 of the 30 laps of the Rich Vogler Classic to earn his 14th career win at the 0.686-mile paved oval located in Clermont, Ind.
For Hines it marked his second straight win with the series and the second year in a row that he was victorious in the Rich Vogler Classic. The winningest active USAC driver now has 34 career triumphs with the Honda USAC National Midget Series and moved into the series point lead in the Honda USAC National Midget Pavement Championship.
“Winning at Raceway Park (Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis) is always special,” said Hines. “We were fast from the time we unloaded and to sweep the whole program is a pretty good accomplishment in today’s day and age with how good of equipment everyone has. I didn’t really want to see that last caution with the lead we had built up, but with how good the car was, I knew as long as I had a pretty good restart I would be okay.”
Hines jumped to the lead at the start of the 30-lap main event from the pole. On lap-6 restart, Darren Hagen took the top spot, but by the 10th go-around, Hines was back out front. Hines set sail from there, opening a big lead, until the caution flag flew with eight circuits remaining. On the ensuing restart, Kyle Larson got under Hines exiting turn three, but the veteran driver was able to turn back the young driver’s challenge and retain the lead. From there, Hines would pace the remainder of the contest to pick up the win aboard the Parker Machinery/Powered by Toyota Spike.
“The car was great on both the restarts we had in the main event as well as on the initial start and the start of the Scramble,” he shared. “We were strong in the Night Before the 500 in May and came up just a little short that night and were able to make up for that by picking up another win this time around. We only have a few more pavement midget races this year, so it’s good to carry some momentum into those.”
In qualifying, Hines circled Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in 20.911-seconds. He was the only driver of the 16 entrants in the 20-second bracket. He lined up sixth in the first 12-lap Scramble and picked up the win in that contest to earn the pole for the 30-lap main event.
Hines finished fifth in the J.D. Byrider 100 for the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis to earn his third top-five finish of the season with the series in the Lightfoot Racing Beast with a Stanton Mopar engine under the hood. He was the fifth-fastest qualifier of the 17 drivers that took to the track for time trials. He lined up fifth for the 100-lap race. Following his fifth-place effort, Hines is currently fourth in points, just three markers out of third and 16 out of the lead as he chases his second series title.
“It was a solid night for us in the Silver Crown car,” said Hines. “We were able to gain some points as well heading into the stretch of dirt races. We had a good car at Pikes Peak (International Raceway) last month and were able to use a little bit of what worked there at Raceway Park (Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis). Qualifying and starting position is so important in the Silver Crown races and we are making some gains in that department as well.”
The native of New Castle, Ind., returns to action this week with the Honda USAC National Midget Series in the Chad McDaniel Memorial at Solomon Valley Raceway in Beloit, Kan., on Tuesday, July 30. He then heads to the famed Belleville High Banks in Kansas for the Belleville Midget Nationals and also a Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series race at the famed half-mile.
Tracy Hines Racing would like to thank: Hansen’s Welding Inc., Parker Machinery, Motor City Auto Transport, 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