Andrew Hines Crowned 2019 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion
Harley-Davidson Pro Stock Motorcycle racer locks down six championship wins.
Team Credit
Andrew Hines is one of only ten NHRA racers to lock down six championship wins. The Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines rider was crowned 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock Motorcycle drag racing champion at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway, Pomona, California in November 2019. Despite a weekend of drama, Hines credits his team for the win.
Photos courtesy of NHRA
Points Cushion
Cycledrag.com exclaimed that the 55th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals had more twists than a curly fry. Hines only needed one round to win the title but had to watch from the pits after fouling in the first round of eliminations against rookie Jianna Salinas. Fortunately, Hines had a big enough points cushion over contenders Jerry Savoie and Matt Smith to finish with the title.
Photos courtesy of NHRA
Team Save
Hines stated, “I put my team in such a bad situation and I chalked it up that we’re done.” Later, he recalled how a season of team work saved the day, “It was a total, utter disappointment on my behalf and a bitter pill to swallow. But the reason why we’re here right now is what my team did all season long.”
Photos courtesy of NHRA
Beam Foul
Starting out Sunday eliminations with a 114-point lead, Hines rolled his bike backward, triggering a red-light foul. He said following the race, “In the first round, I pulled a maneuver that I’ve done too many times in the past when I rolled backward out of the beams. This is a day that will live in fear for me, for I don’t know how long.”
Photos courtesy of NHRA
Match Champion
With the Auto Club Raceway win, Hines becomes one of two riders that have secured six NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championships. The other is the late Dave Schultz — one of the most successful motorcycle drag racers ever. AMA Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame inductee, Schultz won six times between 1987 and 1996. Hines' wins came in 2004-2006, 2014 and 2015, and his latest effort in November.
Photos courtesy of NHRA
Race History
To put Hines' win in context, only ten competitors have won six championships in all of NHRA racing history across its many classes. In seventeen seasons racing for the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines team, Hines has won fifty-six finals, and a record for his class. The 2019 season saw Hines dominate the class aboard his Harley-Davidson FXDR Pro Stock bike, taking eight victories in ten final-round appearances.
Photos courtesy of NHRA
Dominating Debut
The Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines team races competition drag bikes inspired by the FXDR 114. The FXDR Pro Stock bikes made a dominating mid-season debut in July 2019 at the Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals near Denver, where Hines and teammate Ed Krawiec stormed through the Pro Stock Motorcycle field and staged an all-Harley final, which was won by Hines.
Photos courtesy of NHRA
Record Speculation
The FXDR joins the V-Rod, Night Rod, and Street Rod as factory models adapted for NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racing. Back in July 2019, Hines went on record saying he believed the FXDR would be the best. His record-setting championship proves it was more than just speculation. Quick to credit his bike and team, Hines stated, “It wasn’t just this race, it's what my guys did all year.”
Photos courtesy of NHRA
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