Denver Matt Hines interview (Pro Bike)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: NHRA Communications (818) 914-4761

HINES LOOKS UNFLAPPABLE IN PRO STOCK BIKE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE

MORRISON, Colo. -- It's taken Matt Hines very little time to learn the two rules that all NHRA Winston points leaders must follow en route to a championship. Stay focused. Don't panic. Hines, from Trinidad, Colo., saw his three-race winning streak end last month at the Sears Craftsman Nationals near St. Louis when he left the starting line too soon against John Smith in the semifinals. Normally, a red-light start might rattle a second-year pro like Hines. But Hines is no ordinary rider. "It won't affect our program one bit," Hines said of the false start. "I was pushing my lights. We try to push both ends of the track, to get everything running good so we're unstoppable." Points leader Hines has appeared all but unstoppable so far this season. He has won three of seven national events that include bikes and is a favorite to repeat as champion of the 19th annual, $1,532,000 Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals, July 17-20 at Bandimere Speedway. The race is the 12th event of the 22-event, $30-million NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series in 1997 and the eighth of 14 for Pro Stock Motorcycles. The ascension from promising rookie to dominant rider didn't take long for Hines. He finished third last season on the Vance & Hines Suzuki with two victories, earning co-NHRA Winston Rookie of the Year honors. This season, he took the No. 1 spot after winning the Pennzoil Nationals in May at Richmond, Va., and has expanded that lead to 109 points over John Myers. Hines also has dominated the performance charts, setting national elapsed-time and speed records. "Basically, I've got to make the best runs I can every single time," Hines said. "I have to try to set the pace rather than me chasing them."

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