<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/1/a_hines_816957.jpg"align="left"borders="0"/>
POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 11, 2006) –Andrew Hines took one step closer to earning his third consecutive NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Motorcycle championship on his Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson V-Rod, earning his 19th career No. 1 qualifying award Saturday and second of the season at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
The most important part about carrying the top qualifying position into final eliminations is the critical points gained between Hines and Antron Brown.
Hines is currently first in the NHRA point standings and aiming for his third consecutive POWERade championship. He had a 37-point lead over second place Antron Brown going into this event but increased it to 43 during qualifying.
Each round of racing is worth 20 points, meaning Hines has a cushion going into the elimination rounds.
"We were hoping to get out of qualifying with the maximum points possible just to give ourselves a little breathing room," Hines said. "We did that. My team continues to give me the best bike possible and it gives me confidence going into race day.
"We also have a lot of Vance & Hines employees and some executives from Harley-Davidson that are out here to support us and we wanted to put on a good show."
Hines rode his Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson V-Rod to a7.020-second pass at 191.00 mph for the top position. The first round of qualifying on Saturday, however, wasn't what the team had planned for. The bike suffered mechanical problems during the pass and the team was forced to change motors between rounds.
They did the job and the result was a 7.054 pass.
"The motor we put in was a bullet," Hines said. "It was like riding a rocket ship down the track and it makes me excited about racing (Sunday)."
Teammate GT Tonglet improved his time Saturday, going 7.107 pass at 186.54, which was good enough for the No. 11 position.
Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
All the action at the Auto Club Finals can be seen on ESPN2 with three hours of final eliminations on Sunday at 7 p.m. (ET).
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 Country Selector for more information.
The Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Pro Stock Motorcycle team is sponsored by Ford Truck, Dunlop, Matco Tools and S100.
HINES EARNS 19TH CAREER NO. 1 QUALIFYING AWARD; SETS THE STAGE FOR CHAMPIONSHIP SHOWDOWN
Tonglet is 11th Going Into NHRA Season Finale
POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 11, 2006) –Andrew Hines took one step closer to earning his third consecutive NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Motorcycle championship on his Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson V-Rod, earning his 19th career No. 1 qualifying award Saturday and second of the season at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
The most important part about carrying the top qualifying position into final eliminations is the critical points gained between Hines and Antron Brown.
Hines is currently first in the NHRA point standings and aiming for his third consecutive POWERade championship. He had a 37-point lead over second place Antron Brown going into this event but increased it to 43 during qualifying.
Each round of racing is worth 20 points, meaning Hines has a cushion going into the elimination rounds.
"We were hoping to get out of qualifying with the maximum points possible just to give ourselves a little breathing room," Hines said. "We did that. My team continues to give me the best bike possible and it gives me confidence going into race day.
"We also have a lot of Vance & Hines employees and some executives from Harley-Davidson that are out here to support us and we wanted to put on a good show."
Hines rode his Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson V-Rod to a7.020-second pass at 191.00 mph for the top position. The first round of qualifying on Saturday, however, wasn't what the team had planned for. The bike suffered mechanical problems during the pass and the team was forced to change motors between rounds.
They did the job and the result was a 7.054 pass.
"The motor we put in was a bullet," Hines said. "It was like riding a rocket ship down the track and it makes me excited about racing (Sunday)."
Teammate GT Tonglet improved his time Saturday, going 7.107 pass at 186.54, which was good enough for the No. 11 position.
Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
All the action at the Auto Club Finals can be seen on ESPN2 with three hours of final eliminations on Sunday at 7 p.m. (ET).
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 Country Selector for more information.
The Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Pro Stock Motorcycle team is sponsored by Ford Truck, Dunlop, Matco Tools and S100.
