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Long
time driver Tracy Hines celebrates his victory at Eldora Speedway
after getting past Dave Darland on
the last lap of the 30 lap USAC
feature Saturday. CNO Photos by Nancy Lane-Feldner
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Classic battle
waged in season opener at Eldora
Hines gets Darland on final lap
By George Starks and Larry Boos
ROSSBURG- When it comes to short track racing, Tracy Hines has long
been an expert on winning. Saturday night at Eldora was no different.
In the 30 lap USAC sprint feature, Hines led just one lap. The final
one, as the thrilling victory capped off a near perfect night for the
59th season opener at Eldora.
“I knew the car was fast,” said Hines. “Dave (Darland) would pull away
for about three laps and I just had to wait on it. I knew I just had to
time it right and it had to happen on the last lap.”
It took time before Hines could pick his spot but when the opportunity
presented itself, Hines jumped all over it.
“I had to wait and then Dave messed up and that was my chance. I had to
jump on it,” Hines admitted.
On more than one occasion, Hines was up on the back side of Darland but
was never able to pass the USAC veteran. It was a massive slide job
between one and two that turned the trick on the final lap.
“I tried getting him between three and four but couldn’t do it,” Hines
said. “I respect Dave so much and we are such good friends and I gave
him a lot of room. When he went low, I had to take my shot and see what
was going to happen and it worked. I got a killer run out of turn 2
because I could see it. We were flying around here almost flat footed.”
“The MP Environmental car was consistent, but Dave was better on short
runs. He pulled away from me on every restart,” continued Hines. “I’d
start running him back down, I don’t know if it was air pressure
building up or just rhythm. I started catching him and I tried it a
couple times, I just couldn’t figure out how to pass him. I looked and
saw two to go and I had to jump on it. I had to take advantage of it
and he kind of got loose in turn four. You could come back out of turn
four if somebody slid you, but you couldn’t come back out of turn two
because the cushion was all the way to the wall. I knew if I got him
there I had him.”
The victory was Hines’ first at Eldora since winning two straight in
April and June of 2008. He ranks third in USAC sprint car victories at
Eldora trailing only Larry Dickson (9) and Jack Hewitt (13).
Hines dedicated the win to his car owner.
“My sponsor, owner, friend Dave Calderwood … we’re probably not going
to have him the rest of the summer. This is probably going to be his
last year of racing,” Hines said. “I think God wants Dave with Him
instead of with us. That win was definitely for him and all the things
he’s done for me.”
“Eldora is my favorite dirt track and Winchester is my favorite
pavement. I don’t know if it’s just the big, fast half miles but I
enjoy it so much.”
In the UMP Modified feature, Joey Kramer of Hanover, Ind., led all 18
laps for his first victory at Eldora since September of 2001.
Kramer survived several cautions that bunched the field behind him,
proving to be faster than the field on the restarts. “This race car is
unbelievable. We had the car perfect tonight and we got a good start. I
couldn’t ask for a better setup. It was working,” Kramer said.
Jeff Babcock, Doug Adkins, Jerry Bowersock and Brian Post rounded out
the top five. Brent Hole and Andy Bibler won B-Mains. Rob Williams,
Joel Dick, Bowersock and Adkins won Modified heats.
Shawn Phillippi had never experienced the thrill of Eldora’s victory
;ane, and he enjoyed the moment with an emphatic celebration after
leading the Stock Cars from start-to-finish in the 15-lapper.
“That was my first one-yeah!” Phillippi said thrusting his fist into
the air. “I couldn’t start any better. My first win on my first time
out, it’s awesome.”
Phillippi, who finished fifth in stock points last year, left the field
to battle for second place as he set sail early. Two early cautions
gave them a chance, but Phillippi dashed them. Rob Trent, Barney Craig,
John Phlipot Jr. and Mark Wooten finished in the top five. Phlipot ,
Jr. and Craig won the Stock Car heats.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of USAC’s first race at Eldora,
winning driver Stan Bowman of Covington, Ky., and car owner Harold Beck
of Dayton were honored for that first victory on April 22, 1962.
Plaques signed by track owner Tony Stewart were presented to Randy
Bowman, Stan’s son, and Diane (Beck) Lane, Harold’s daughter. Stan
Bowman died in a racing accident in Terre Haute, Ind., in 1962 and
Harold Bowman passed away in 1971.
“I had no idea at all,” Lane said of recognizing how significant that
day would become in Eldora history. “The most that I remember about the
race was how happy my dad was because that was his first USAC win. It
was a great day.”
Eldora Speedway hosts the USAC Sprints again on July 28 and celebrates
their partnership with a special 50-lap feature, honoring the 50th
anniversary of USAC’s first appearance at the historic track. A minimum
$10,000 payout awaits the winner of the feature. The National Racing
Alliance Sprint Invaders will also be in action.
Eldora Speedway returns to action Saturday, April 28, with the UMP
DIRTcar Modifieds, Eldora Stocks and Vore’s Welding Compacts.
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Greenville
resident Shawn Phillippi stands on the victory stage for the first time
at Eldora. The Saturday
night race kicked of the 59th season at the famed half-mile dirt track.
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