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Contact:
Matt King (414) 343-7634
matt.king@harley-davidson.com
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HINES
DEFENDS LAS VEGAS PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE VICTORY; MAINTAINS COUNTDOWN POINTS
LEAD
Screamin'
Eagle Harley-Davidson Rider Andrew Hines Leads Category
LAS
VEGAS (Oct. 29, 2007) – Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Motorsports
rider Andrew Hines experienced a completely different feeling at the
ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals on Sunday.
Hines
was calm.
The
three-time defending NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Motorcycle champion didn't
have the usual butterflies normally associated with a big race weekend. As
if the 15th of 16 Pro Stock Motorcycle events wasn't pressure-packed
enough every other year, this season the stakes were much higher.
The
Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was the first of two final events in the
Countdown to the Championship. Only four racers in each professional
category have qualified to race for the 2007 crowns.
Hines
walked into Las Vegas with a 10-point lead. He's leaving with a 39-point
lead following his victory.
"It
really was the strangest day I've ever had in racing," Hines said.
"Everything was nice and smooth and there weren't any issues on the
bike or with anything else. I give all the credit for this unusually calm
and great day to my team. They did a great job preparing the V-Rod for
competition and I was ready to go without the butterflies because of it.
"It
was an excellent day. We won the race and extended our points lead and it
is all pretty overwhelming. I can't wait to get to the season
finale."
Hines
beat Shawn Gann and the Race Girl/Lucas Oil Suzuki team in the first
round. Hines recorded a 7.053-second pass at 188.49 mph to top Gann's
7.217 at 186.15. Hines earned a second round victory over Chris Rivas and
the Torco Buell team with a 7.085 at 187.83 over Rivas' 7.157 at 182.62.
Hines
earned his 22nd career final round appearance with his semifinal matchup
win over Matt Smith and the Torco Race Fuels Buell. Hines won with a 7.086
pass at 186.92, beating Smith's 7.096 at 186.43.
With
a final round victory over Chip Ellis, Hines earned his 13th career
victory. Hines rode to the quarter-mile victory with a 7.073 run at 187.34
to beat Ellis' 7.144 at 185.41 on his Buell.
"With
one race left we have a 39-point lead and that's a great position to be
in," Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Anne Paluso said. "The team
has worked extremely hard to overcome some challenges this season and put
us in a position to compete for the championship. The work paid off this
weekend. It was a great race and we're proud of the way everyone performed
under the pressure of battling for a record number of championships."
The
victory was the second consecutive for Hines at Las Vegas. With one race
remaining (the Auto Club Finals in Pomona, Calif., Nov. 1-4) Hines is
aiming for history.
Hines
is tied with two other racers, older brother and current crew chief Matt
Hines and Angelle Sampey, as the only riders in NHRA history to win three
consecutive titles. If Hines can win the championship this year, he will
be the first rider in NHRA history to win four consecutive crowns.
"It's
nice knowing we have a little bit of a cushion in the point standings
going into Pomona, but that won't change our goals of trying to win rounds
and win the race," Hines said. "Almost any other time of year
it's nice to have a week or two off after you win a race so you can savor
the victory. But I'm very happy we race before the week is out. The team
is focused and I'm excited about this Countdown to the Championship."
Screamin'
Eagle/Vance & Hines Motorsports teammate Eddie Krawiec qualified in
the No. 5 position before losing to Geno Scali and the Performance Machine
Suzuki team in the first round.
Screamin’
Eagle Performance Parts are inspired by and built in the spirit of the raw
adrenaline and power of motorcycle racing. Screamin’ Eagle Pro parts are
specifically designed for race-use applications, while Screamin’ Eagle
parts offer street-use performance options for the Harley-Davidson
motorcycle owner. Visit www.harley-davidson.com for more information.
The
Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Pro Stock Motorcycle team is sponsored
by Ford Truck, Dunlop, Matco Tools and S100.
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