2019 NHRA Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Drag Team Preview

MILWAUKEE (March 11, 2019) – The Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines drag racing team opens its 17th season of NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle competition at the 50th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, March 14-17 in Gainesville, Fla. The team will begin pursuit of a 10th Pro Stock Motorcycle championship with a three-rider squad, as Angelle Sampey joins Andrew Hines and Ed Krawiec on Harley-Davidson® Street Rod competition motorcycles. The trio of veteran riders have won a combined 12 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle titles.

“We will be bringing a formidable team to the track at Gainesville,” said Vance & Hines Motorsports owner Terry Vance. “Three former champions with all the savvy and experience it takes to reach the pinnacle of our sport, backed by a strong team in the pits and Harley-Davidson V-Twin power. We are racing in a very competitive class but we expect to be one of the teams to beat for the championship this season.”

The Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines team races competition drag bikes are inspired by the Harley-Davidson Street Rod production motorcycle, an agile middle-weight powered by the liquid-cooled High Output Revolution X 750 engine.

The Gatornationals is the first of 16 Pro Stock Motorcycle events on the 2019 NHRA Mello Yellow Drag Racing Series schedule. After the first 10 events, the points are re-set for the top-10 riders that then qualify for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs (the final six races), with the season ending in November at the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif.

About The Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Team

Angelle Sampey is a three-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion (2000-02) and her 42 event wins are the most ever by a female racer in NHRA competition. In 2018 Sampey qualified for the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoff and finished the season in seventh place. Her commitment to physical fitness, including a rigorous mixed martial arts training regimen, has allowed for a long and competitive career.

“Angelle knows how to deal with any situation at the track, and she’s one of the great personalities in our sport who will bring a lot of exposure to our third bike,” said Vance. “I expect Angelle will leave the starting line harder than anyone in the class.”

Andrew Hines will open the season on an all-new Harley-Davidson Street Rod drag bike the team built in its Brownsburg, Ind., facility over the winter. The five-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion (2004-06, 2014-15) will be racing to add to his series-record 48 career Pro Stock Motorcycle event wins.

“Even after my 16 seasons every run down the track on the Screamin’ Eagle Harley is a thrill,” said Hines. “No car launches off the line harder than a Pro Stock Motorcycle, and no driver is as exposed as we are on the bike. It’s a great show for any motorcycle fan.”

Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines racer Andrew Hines holds the record for lowest Pro Stock Motorcycle elapsed time (ET), a scorching 6.728 seconds.

Ed Krawiec will be racing for his fifth Pro Stock Motorcycle title after coming just 39 points short of defending his title in 2018, a battle that went down to the final round of eliminations at the NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif. One of the coolest and steadiest riders in the class, the four-time champion (2008, 2011-12, 2017) has won 47 times in a Pro Stock Motorcycle career that began in 2004. In 2018 Krawiec won four times in seven final-round appearances.

About NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycles

Pro Stock motorcycles are pure-bred drag racing machines. Launching from a standing start, these bikes can rocket down the quarter-mile in less than 7 seconds and reach a top speed of 200 mph. The competition is fierce, with the winner’s margin often measured in thousandths of a second.

About Harley-Davidson Motor Company

Since 1903, Harley-Davidson has fulfilled dreams of personal freedom by leading the innovation of two-wheeled mobility. The company offers an expanding range of leading-edge, distinctive and customizable motorcycles and brings the brand to life through Harley-Davidson riding experiences and exceptional motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel. Learn more about how Harley-Davidson is Building the Next Generation of Riders at www.harley-davidson.com.

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