SCREAMIN' EAGLE TEAM OPENS ITS DOORS TO MEDIA PRIOR TO MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS IN INDIANAPOLIS
The Indianapolis Based Team is Set to Expand Business; Add Jobs
INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 24, 2006) – As if preparing to battle the season's biggest field of competitors wasn't tough enough, the Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines V-Rod team is ready to open its doors and play the role of host too.
The locally based team will open its shop doors for the media Tuesday between 5-7 p.m., allowing media to get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to run an NHRA POWERade Drag Racing team. This isn't just any team, either. This two-bike team has won the last two NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championships to its credit. Riders Andrew Hines and GT Tonglet have combined to win nine events in 20 final rounds just since 2004. They also have 21 No. 1 qualifying awards in that same time period.
Needless to say, the Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines team has experience with winning and now they are ready to show what it takes to remain competitive.
"For most people on the tour, they probably don't realize what kind of effort and technology goes into running a competitive Pro Stock Motorcycle team," Byron Hines, team owner, said. "This will give a little insight into how much work that goes into these motorcycles. You can't run a pro NHRA motorcycle team out of your garage anymore and I am not sure if everyone realizes that."
Rider Andrew Hines has become accustomed to giving shop tours and said he expects more of the same – faces filled with impressed looks.
"This is such a cool way to show the media what it's like to operate an NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle team," Hines said. "It takes so much effort and equipment just to enable these bikes to get down the track and every time we show someone new around the shop, they can't believe what they see. It's a good feeling knowing we can help educate people on the motorcycle class."
The Vance & Hines Motorsports team is now located in Brownsburg, Ind., not more than a mile from the track. The team moved there from Trinidad, Colo., in 2004. The building was custom-made for their specific needs – and now those needs have expanded.
The team will get more elbowroom starting in November when construction begins on a 22,000-foot addition to the Vance & Hines shop. The expansion will add more than 30 new jobs to the area.
"This is such a great location for us because it's central to all of the events we race and Indianapolis is the racing capital of the world," the elder Hines said. "We want to broaden our product line and continue to do more in-house fabrication, so the expansion is necessary.
"Terry Vance has been a business partner for a long time and he's very involved in this program and we're going to rely on him and some other valuable employees to make it all work. We're ready to move forward and the open house will kick off the next phase."
With the 52nd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis just days away, the team also needs to ensure they are ready to race. Being at home has its advantages, and its pitfalls and Hines is ready to deal with both.
"Being at home for a race allows you more time to focus on the maintenance level of the bikes and make sure they are up to snuff and ready for the event," Hines said. "You don’t have to travel, so it gives you time to collect the bits and pieces that you've been saving in hopes of having a performance advantage. But that means you also have more time and you could try too hard and mess everything up.
"On top of that, you're at home and everyone wants to come out to the track. Employees that normally just work at the shop, friends, neighbors, everyone wants to come and hang out during the event. That's a distraction for us that we don't normally have on the road. It's a tough balancing act."
The Vance & Hines Motorsports shop is located at 1211 Northfield Drive in Brownsburg. Drinks and appetizers will be served.
Qualifying for the U.S. Nationals begins Friday, Sept. 1 with one session at 6:15 p.m. Riders will have two chances to qualify on Saturday (2:25 & 6:15 p.m.) before the final two qualifying rounds take place at 11 a.m. & 3 p.m. on Sunday. Final eliminations are scheduled to start on Monday, Sept. 4 at 11 a.m. On top of qualifying and racing for the event title, Andrew Hines will join seven other riders in the annual bonus event for the two-wheel category. The Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle is a bonus race between the top eight riders in qualifying over a calendar year. The Battle will kick off on Saturday.
2006 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle point standings following 11 of 15 events
(Victories in parenthesis)
1. Andrew Hines, Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson V-Rod (2) 830
2. Antron Brown, Suzuki (2) 827
3. Chip Ellis, Buell (2) 739
4. Angelle Sampey, Suzuki (3) 715
5. Ryan Schnitz, Buell (1) 600
6. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki 581
7. Matt Smith, Buell (1) 579
8. Tom Bradford, Buell 537
9. Matt Guidera, Buell 492
10. Craig Treble, Suzuki 461
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.
