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Tony Stewart Racing Driver Tracy Hines Continues Recovery After Motorcycle Accident
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Named as Interim Driver
INDIANAPOLIS (May 3, 2007) – Tony Stewart Racing driver Tracy Hines continues to recover from injuries sustained in an off-road motorcycle accident that occurred Monday evening near his home in Indiana. Hines remains in stable condition at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured pelvis, fractured left femur and a dislocated right knee.
The 35-year-old from New Castle, Ind., is scheduled to be released from Methodist Hospital on Friday. After intensive rehabilitation, Hines will return to Methodist Hospital in two to three weeks for reconstructive knee surgery, which will be performed by Dr. Joseph Baele, an orthopedic surgeon.
In Hines’ absence, Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) has named 19-year-old Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., as the interim driver of the No. 21 TSR Chevrolet/Maxim in the U.S. Auto Club (USAC) National Sprint and Midget Car Series, and the No. 22 TSR/Chevrolet/Maxim in the USAC National Silver Crown Series. Stenhouse, Jr., will assume driving duties effective immediately, as the team travels to Iowa Speedway in Newton for Saturday’s USAC National Sprint and Midget Car Series event at the 7/8-mile oval.
“We’re very pleased to have Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., join Tony Stewart Racing,” said Tony Stewart, team owner. “He has proven to be a versatile driver and he’s shown that he can handle the various challenges of the three USAC Racing series at this level. Team Manager Jay Drake and crew chief Bobby Barth are very pleased to have Ricky fill in for Tracy as he recovers. It is also our hope that Tracy makes a quick recovery and is able to rejoin his teammates sooner rather than later. In the meantime, we’re confident that Ricky will provide solid results for our team in his absence.”
“While I’m very excited to be a part of Tony Stewart Racing, I join everyone else on the team in wishing Tracy a speedy recovery,” Stenhouse, Jr., said. “This is the first full-time opportunity I’ve had to race at the professional level and it’s an honor to drive for Tony Stewart and his USAC teams. I know that I’m going to learn a lot from Jay Drake, Bobby Barth, Bubby Jones and especially Tracy Hines and Levi Jones (teammate to Hines). Working with such an accomplished group like this is definitely one of the biggest opportunities of my life. ”
Stenhouse, Jr., began racing at age six in go-karts. By 15, he had earned 47 A-main karting victories and over 90 podium finishes. The Olive Branch, Miss., resident won the 1998 Indoor Thunder Go-Kart Nationals A-main, as well as the 1999 Tulsa (Okla.) Shootout A-main title. He moved into 360 Winged Sprint Cars in 2003, where he won the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Driver Poll 360 Dirt Winged Sprint Car Rookie of the Year. Stenhouse, Jr.’s rookie season awards also included being named as the Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park Rookie of the Year.
In 2004, Stenhouse, Jr., made his first USAC National Sprint Car Series start at Memphis, qualifying fourth and finishing seventh in the feature event. He also won an American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) A-main event in West Memphis, Ark., and won the Memphis Nationals at Memphis Motorsports Park later that year. The 2005 season saw Stenhouse, Jr., earn a fourth-place finish in the Knoxville (Iowa) 360 Nationals in addition to winning four United Sprint Car Series (USCS) feature events.
The 2006 season served as Stenhouse, Jr.’s, breakout year. He was named as the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Driver Poll Wild Card title winner in both the 360 and 410 Winged Sprint Car divisions. Winning four USCS main events, Stenhouse, Jr., also expanded into the USAC ranks and several other racing divisions.
Stenhouse, Jr., again caught the attention of the open-wheel racing community in February with his dominating victories in the USAC National Silver Crown Series and USAC/CRA Sprint Series feature events in the “Copper on Dirt” event at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix.
-TSR-
Cards and well wishes to Tracy Hines can be sent to the following:
Tony Stewart Racing
Attn: Tracy Hines
5644 West 74th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46278
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