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;;t DRAG RACING NHRA WINSTON DRAG RACING SERIES By Kevin McKenna RICHMOND, VA, APR. 23-26 t's never been done before, and most people believe it won't ever happen, but no one has managed to convince Matt Hines that he can't go an en tire season without losing a round in the 14-event NHRA Winston Pro Stock Motorcycle series.- Through the season's first four events, including the special non-points Winston Invitational, Hines is a perfect 15-0 in elimination rounds, and his Vance & Hines/Eagle One Suzuki GSX-R continues to be the runaway performance leader, with ,a new track elapsed-time record at each of the four venues. "Realistically, I know I'm not going to have a perfect season," said Hines, who is now 13 for 19 in final rounds in his career. "It sounds pretty impressive, but too many things would have to go right each time, and over 14 races, odds are something will go wrong eventually. Although, if it does ever happen, I'd like to be the first guy to do it." I'll drag racing, no one puts together a win streak as long as Hines' without a break or two, and the reigning Winston champ got his in the final round of the Pennzoil Nationals in Richmond when number-two qualifier Angelle Seeling red-lighted. Seeling lost a chance to gain ground on Hines when she was beaten in the opening round of eliminations a week earlier in Atlanta, but she gave him all he could handle in Richmond, with a 7.33 effort in qualifying that trailed only Hines' 7.29. Sporting the red-and-white Team Winston colors on her Star Performance Suzuki for the first time, the former registered nurse from New Orleans' took out Stephanie Reaves, Gary Tonglet, and Rookie of the Year contender Antron Brown to reach her fifth career final. O .". Round 3: Virginia Motorsports Park Brown, who rides the Team 23 Suzuki owned by Philadelphia Eagle cornerback Troy Vincent, scored a major upset in round two when he stopped the field's number-three qualifier, John Smith, in a close 7.42-to-7.44 battle, but he didn't have enough to hold off Seeling. "This is a dream for me," said Brown, a former world-class colJege sprinter who received his NHRA competition license early this year. "I've been riding dirt bikes since I was 5, and I've loved Pro Stock bikes since I was a kid. I'm just happy to be out here doing this. " Hines, meanwhile, had few problems taking care of business on his side of the ladder chart. He nudged the track record in round one with a 7.28-to-7.54 win over Las Vegas police officer Clarke Paris and made the quickest run of round two, with a 7.36-to-7.44 win against recent Fram Nationals runnerup Paul Gast, who is currently ranked second in the points chase. I'll the semis, Hines again was well ahead of the rest of the field with a 7.32- to-7.47 win over John Myers' Star Performance Suzuki. Myers, the 1990, 1992 and 1995 series champion who has never finished lower than second in 10 years on the tour, quietly moved into third place in the points standings with his third semifinal round showing of the year. Riding his Ken Johnson-tuned Suzuki GSX-R, Myers downed c.J. Smith's Kawasaki and Suzuki-rider Brian Ayers before being ou tgunned by Hines in the final four round. Dave Schultz, the other former Winston champion in the field, didn't fare as well, as he suffered his second straight round-one loss against Brown's Team 23 entry. Schultz, who put together a nearly flawless campaign in 1991 with a 40-2 record in elimination rounds, has dropped to sixth in the poin ts standings, despite his runner-up finish at the season-opening Gatornationals in Florida. "I could see this coming," said Schultz, who remains the sport's most successful bike racer, with six championships. "I was getting down there around number four or five in qualifying last year, and I sure didn't think everyone was going to be just sitting around on their thumbs all winter, so it doesn't surprise me that I've struggled, The way I look at it, when I win my next championship, it wilJ be that much sweeter, because I'll remember what we had to go through to get there." I'll the final, Seeling felt the pressure to stop Hines not just to make a positive impact on her new sponsor, but also for the good of the class. "I just went up there and tried too hard," Seeling said of her red-light start. "I didn't have to do that, because if I would have stuck with what I did in the semis, it would have been a close race. When. I lose to Matt, I feel like I let my sponsor, team, family, and the entire Pro Stock Bike class down, because I feel they are all looking at me to slow him down. I wanted to win this for all of them." (X Virginia Motorsports Park Richmond, Virginia Results: April 23-26 (Round 3 of 14) PRO STOCK FINAL: 1. Matt Hines (Suz) 7.42, 1n.77; 2. Angel1e Seeling (Suz) 7.37, 176.78 (FOUL), NHRAIWINSTON PRO STOCK BlKE SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 3 of 14 events): 1. Matt Hines (374/3 wins); 2. Paul Cast (217); 3. John Myers (203); 4. Angel1e Seeling (191); 5. John Smith (168); 6. Dave Schultz (159); 7. Tony Mullen (138); 8. Gary Tonglet (136); 9. Brian Ayers (133); 10. Greg Underdahl (124). Upcoming Rounds: Round 4 - Englishtown, New Jersey, May 1417 Round 5 - Chicago, Illinois, May 28-31 (Above) Matt Hines (near lane) won his fourth straight race on the starting line, as his opponent, new Team Winston member Angelle Seeling, red-lighted on her Suzuki GSX-R during the final round of the Pennzoil Nationals at Virginia Motorsporta Park. (Left) Fans and fellow Pro Stock Bike racers have gotten used to the sight of Hines and his crew celebrating In the winner's circle, The Richmond victory was his 13th in just three years on the tour.