Tracy Hines Finishes Second & Sixth with USAC Sprints at Bubba Raceway Park
By Tracy Hines Racing PR
NEW CASTLE, Ind.—Feb. 23, 2014— Another year, another successful trip to Florida for Tracy Hines. That is becoming the norm for the veteran driver with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series. Following a pair of wins at Bubba Raceway Park in 2013, the native of New Castle, Ind., recently returned to the Sunshine State to open his 2014 campaign and recorded a pair of solid finishes. He led a number of laps in the opener at the three-eighths-mile en route to a runner-up finish and was sixth in the finale aboard The Carolina Nut Company DRC with a Chevy-powered Stanton Racing Engine under the hood, and heads back north just a handful of markers out of the point lead as he chases his second series title.
The Bubba Army Winternationals at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla., kicked-off on Thursday, Feb. 20, and concluded on Saturday, Feb. 22. With his second-place performance on the first night, Hines has now finished among the top-five in three of his last five starts at the track and has been among the top-10 in five of his last six appearances at the venue dating back to 2012.
In the opener, Hines took the lead at the start of the main event and crossed the line out front at the completion of the first circuit, before polesitter Dave Darland took the top spot on the second go-around. Hines powered his way back around Darland on lap-3 and would pace the field for the next 15 laps, before eventual winner Brady Bacon took the lead. The main event was slowed by four cautions and one red flag period.
“It was a good run for the first night of the season,” said Hines. “I was having trouble getting off (turn) four. I tried just about everything I could and nothing seemed to work. We were a lot better in the slick that we have been, but still need to find a little more. We have some new things this year with the team, and it was great to be fast every time we hit the track and to lead quite a few laps in the main event as well.”
Hines timed in fifth-fastest of the 34 drivers that took a lap in time trials in the opener. He lined up fifth in the first heat race and charged to the front to win that eight-lap contest to earn a spot in the 30-lap main event. He took the green flag for the A-Feature on the outside of the front row, next to Darland.
The final night of the Bubba Army Winternationals on Saturday, Feb. 22, saw Hines take to the grid for the 30-lap main event in the ninth spot. He gained a position in the early going and worked his way up to sixth just before the halfway point of the race. A rash of cautions slowed the event, leading to a total of six restarts. When the final checkered flag flew, Hines was sixth, and wrapped up the event as one of just three drivers that finished among the top-six on both nights at Bubba Raceway Park.
Hines timed in sixth-fastest of the 32 entrants to open the night. He finished fifth in the second heat race, coming up just one spot short of transferring to the main event, and thus requiring him to run the B-main. Hines won the “B,” which slotted him on the inside of the fifth row for the main event.
“We had a tough heat race and that was all the difference,” shared Hines. “If we would have transferred through that we would have started on the front row of the main event. We were able to make up a few spots in the feature and passing was at a premium. We have a good baseline to build on now and will work hard in the shop for a few weeks and be ready for the next race.”
