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,.......,-- ..... . ::.e..-J ~ -...; • ';-.. ,'(1 .~.1j:.~'<::' ..',..,'r~~~~.~ ;,-" ~- :1~'1."f .. (' DRAG RACING NHRA WINSTON DRAG RACING SERIES .~:~- .. ,~.. !~. ".-;:'<' .'- . jl'1I..r:\'r:t~':;a:<.\'5~"'·',.",,~ ':~'. ~':'t7~·"' .. ~.~ ,,,. til,· .' ~: Round 1: Gainesville Raceway . , In By Kevin McKenna GAINESVILLE, FL, MAR 13-14 n the weeks leading up to the season-opening Mac Tools Gatornationals, the first of 14 events in the 1998 NHRA Pro Stock Bike tour, reign- . ing champion Matt Hines boldly predicted that "under the right conditions, I could see us running as quick as 7.23 or 7.24 sometime this year." At the time, Hines' decree appeared to be a bit of a stretdl, even though he' entered the season as the current elapsed-time record holder with a best of 7.29. But after his performance in Gainesville; where he scored a convincing victory over six-time class champ Dave Schultz, and reset the record with an incredible 7.24, it is obvious that Hines knew what he was talking about. "All winter long, I was thinking about that MBNA bonus and hoped that we'd be able to get it at this race," Hines said, referring to the $10,000 incentive offered by the MBNA credit-card co~ pany for any Pro Stock Bike racer who could set the elapsed-time ·record. "The track and weather conditions at this race are usually very good, and the record had been set here a·lot, so we didn't . want to waste the opportunity." G Ironically, Hines likely -wouldn't have been able to set the record, aifd probably wouldn't have won, if not for the torrential rains that caused the event to be postponed for a week. Given an extra six days, Hines and his father (and crew chief), Byron, headed for DeSoto Dragway in Bradenton, Florida, three hours south of Gainesville, for a marathon test session. In Bradenton, Hines made more than a dozen runs, including a stunning (albeit unofficial) 7.18, and returned to Gainesville muc!;l more confident than when he left. "Honestly, I don't think we would have won this race if it had been held 0)1 the first w'eekend," said Hines, who was qualified second, .06 seconds behind Angelle Seeling, when the event was postponed. "We didn't build a new bike this winter, but we made enougl;l changes to our old one that it was like riding a new bike. I wasn't comfortable on it the first weekend. I was also a little. rusty because I hadn't been on it since last October." When qualifying resumed, Hines had no such problems. He rode his Eagle One-backed Suzuki to a 7.28 on the first run and got the record for good with a 7.24 on the second. In elimlnations, it was more of the same, as Hines powered past Larry Cook in round one, 7.267.63, and rookie Tony Mullen in the sec;ond, 7.27-7.36, before squaring of} against AMA ProStar Pro Stock Bi.k:e champ Paul Gast in the semis. Against Gast, who is acknowledged as having the best starting-line reactions in the class, Hines made his slowest run of the weekend but crossed the finish line first, 7.33-7.38. Schultz, whose 42 NHRA nation event victories include two Gatornatio· I (Top) Matt Hines (far lane) claimed the 11th National event title of his three-year career with a 7.31-7.42 win over six time Winston champion Dave Schultz (near lane) In the final. (Above) After a semifinal finish in his rookie season and a runner-up showing in 1997, Hines and the Eagle One team made it to the winner's circle in Gainesville this year. .