SCREAMIN' EAGLE TEAM POISED FOR 2008
Maybe losing is just the
motivation he needs.
Three-time NHRA POWERade
Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Andrew Hines finished in second place this season
and it was the first time he's finished outside the No. 1 position since 2003.
He's certain it will keep him motivated throughout the offseason.
"Going through this
entire situation, starting the season and being as
His Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Motorsports teammate, Eddie Krawiec, shares the sentiment. The team wants to get ready for the 2008 NHRA season opener in March and they couldn't be more anxious to get started on the work.
HINES AND KRAWIEC EVEN MORE MOTIVATED TO MAKE OFFSEASON A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCHING PAD FOR '08 CAMPAIGN
Maybe losing is just the
motivation he needs.
Three-time NHRA POWERade
Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Andrew Hines finished in second place this season
and it was the first time he's finished outside the No. 1 position since 2003.
He's certain it will keep him motivated throughout the offseason.
"Going through this
entire situation, starting the season and being as
His Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Motorsports teammate, Eddie Krawiec, shares the sentiment. The team wants to get ready for the 2008 NHRA season opener in March and they couldn't be more anxious to get started on the work.
It makes me even hungrier to go out and win a fourth championship next year. It would mean so much to me and the team if we can use this season as the learning experience we need to go out there and do our best to compete for the championship again next year. - Andrew Hines
In his first season as a
full-time professional drag racer and his first with the Screamin' Eagle team,
Krawiec earned a seventh place finish in the standings.
"I wouldn't change a
thing about how the season went," Krawiec said.
"It was basically my
rookie season as the full-time guy out here and I made some mistakes but I
learned a lot from each one and that's how you learn.
"This season will
certainly make me a better racer and rider next year.
I can't complain about
finishing in the top 10 in my first season especially considering how great the
level of competition is out here."
Hines had a career-best
season in wins (five) and final round appearances (seven). He also earned two
No. 1 qualifying awards. He has 13 career victories in 22 final rounds along
with 21 top qualifying positions.
"I never expected so
many wins to come our way," Hines said. "We went out there and made
sure we were prepared for every race and did our best and the wins came. It was
great to have career-highs in wins because I always aim to do better than the
previous season and we won three races in 2006. The team did a great job making
sure the V-Rods were ready to race every round."
It wasn't easy for the
Screamin' Eagle squad to even compete for the championship this season. Hines
opened the season with two consecutive first round losses and was as low as
13th in the points before the team made the comeback that included a win at the
fifth event of the season (
"I'm most proud of
that comeback," Hines said. "To be able to go into
"We made a team
decision to bury our heads and look for the solutions and all of that hard work
paid off."
Krawiec earned two trips
to the final round –
"The entire
Harley-Davidson family is very proud of what the team did this season,"
Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Anne Paluso said. "They struggled so much
at the beginning of the season and they did amazing things to be able to win
five events and the Ringer's Gloves Pro Bike battle with Andrew and earn two
trips to the final round with Eddie.
"The field of riders
participating in each NHRA event is very talented and for us to have two riders
in the top eight says a lot about the team we have."
Krawiec's performance was
just one reason why the team offered him a two-year contract extension.
"Eddie did a great
job this season and handled the pressure of a new team and a new job very
well," Screamin' Eagle crew chief Matt Hines said. "He's going to
help the team in the shop over the offseason and I think it will all make him a
better racer next season. We expect that he will be competing for race wins
from the start.
"We're lucky to have
two talented riders who are so willing to learn from their mistakes and work at
being better competitors."
Hines and Krawiec both
made the first cut of the Countdown to the
Championship points chase.
The top eight riders were allowed to move on to Round Two for three events
before a second cut was made for the top four riders just prior to the final
two races of the season. Hines made the second cut and was the points leader
following three of the final four races.
Hines went into the season
finale in
He lost in the second
round and Matt Smith and the Torco Racing Fuels
Buell team went around him
to win the race and the 2007 championship.
"It was nice to be
part of the championship and to be part of the first
Countdown to the
Championship points chase, but it was such a bittersweet feeling to come up
short," Hines said. "We're not the champs anymore and that's
heartbreaking.
"The good news is
that I learned a lot from the season. This was a completely different level of
stress and pressure and I can apply those lessons to next season and take a
more confident attitude into the championship hunt in 2008."
Krawiec made the first
cut, but was outside of Round Three of the Countdown.
"I couldn't be more
excited about how the season went and how lucky I was to be able to ride a
motorcycle that was capable of making several six-second passes throughout the
year," Krawiec said. "I really am living a dream. My job is riding a
motorcycle and I have a great team behind me making sure the bike is always
competitive. This was such an incredible year and I can't wait to make next
year even better.
"I truly believe that
I got better each weekend and never took a step back. I think I made some good
progress and I'm just happy I had so many different experiences to grow
from."
Krawiec said one of the
most important lessons from the season came in the pits – nowhere near the drag
strip.
"I have always known
how important teamwork is but I couldn't believe just how vital it is to a race
team," Krawiec said. "Everyone has to gel and work together as one
unit. As our team got closer, our performance got better. I can't wait for next
season."