AJ Foyt/Greer Racing Score One-Two Punch

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – A.J. Foyt/Greer Racing scored a one-two punch in their first race of the season in the USAC Silver Crown Series presented by K&N Engineering.

Born in the same season driver A.J. Foyt won the USAC Silver Crown title in a four-race season, Tracy Hines put the No. 14 car in Victory Lane winning Friday’s “Homestead-Miami 100” at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Teammate Pablo Donoso finished second in the No. 11 car.

Hines, in his first race driving for Foyt as well as first race in the new generation Silver Crown Series, led the final four laps of the 67-lapper for his seventh career series victory after leader Wayne Reutimann Jr.’s car came out of gear on Lap 64. The victory earned Hines $26,000.

“The double zero (Reutimann) and the 26 (Pierce) were the class of the field,” said Hines, who started fifth in the No. 14 Green Special C&R/Chevy. “But one thing we worry about is keeping our car consistent.…The Greer Special was awesome. They called me over the winter and asked me to drive, and I said sure. I’m glad I did.”

It was a beaming Foyt who greeted Hines in Victory lane. “I’m real proud of my team. The boys did a real good job of driving and George [Snider] and my crew did a real good job of putting these cars together. We didn’t have time to test so our test session was last night’s practice. It’s a great way to start off the season.”

Hines admitted after the race he didn’t have the best car. That belonged to Reutimann, who battled with polesitter Aaron Pierce over the first 50 laps and was in position to win his second series race.

Reutimann soared past Pierce on Lap 9 and, at points, established as much as a six-car advantage. He and Pierce weaved through traffic, and despite leading all the way until Lap 64, didn’t have a comfortable advantage until just 17 laps remaining when Pierce lost an engine. It brought out the race’s only yellow flag.

With five cars separating him and Hines, Reutimann ran off. Hines, in turn, lost second when Pablo Donoso went two-for-one, first passing Cameron Dodson for third and Hines for the runner-up spot.

Hines regained the position in the waning laps, and together, with Donoso and Dodson, started cutting deep into Reutimann’s lead.

Veteran USAC owner and former Indy car driver George Snider, who prepared the cars for longtime friend Foyt, said, “Tracy did a good job. He conserved his tires and I told when it was 20 laps to go and that’s when he began making his move towards the front. I don’t know if he would have had anything for Reutiman but I think Tracy did a good job saving his tires for the end.”

The lead was cut to a second and a half before Reutimann’s car slowed considerably when it came out of gear. Hines made the pass on the inside going into Turn 1, while Donoso squeaked by on the outside, nearly hitting the Turn 1 wall.

With his main competition out of sight, Hines pulled away from Donoso and Dodson, and celebrated Foyt’s 50th anniversary in IndyCar racing with the coveted winner’s trophy.

“We’ve still got some things to learn,” said Hines, the new point leader by 12 over eighth-place finisher Paul White. “Yesterday (Thursday) was the first time I ever sat in one of these cars. This was our test because I had never had a test prior to this week. So this was a good start in one of these.”

The victory was Hines's fourth in his last seven Silver Crown starts, dating back to 2005 at DuQuoin, Ill., and was his first pavement victory since May 7, 2000 at Gateway International Raceway.

The series returns to action May 5 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa.

Team Notes

Long-time friend and former Indy car driver George Snider travelled from his California home a month ago to head up Foyt’s Silver Crown program. He worked in Foyt’s race shop fitting up the two Greer Special cars with engines prepared by noted engine builder Rick Long. The number 14 car was a brand new car that saw its first on-track action in practice Thursday evening.

Runner-up finisher Pablo Donoso hails from Chile. Donoso’s spotter and mentor is Eliseo Salazar who drove for Foyt in the IndyCar Series from 2000 through 2002. Driving the No. 11 Indy car, Salazar finished third at Indy in 2000 and again at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2001