The results improved in '02 with help from Harley-Davidson vice president of engineering Bob Farchione. Farchione told Vance, "Let me get my guys to help you a little." The team was given access to a Spintron (an electric-powered machine that spins the engine at high rpm), which Vance said, allowed them to "watch the engine, watch how the crank goes through the oil and how the valves and cams work and if everything is in place where it's supposed to be at high rpm. You can learn a lot about your engine." With the help of the Spintron, Vance said the team "found some issues that were causing us some pain. Then we were in great shape." When Matt Hines' sponsor unexpectedly withdrew at the end of the 2002 season, he made the move to crew chief. Matt's younger brother Andrew, 19 at the time, was drafted in as the second rider. In 2003, Andrew scored points in seven of 15 rounds, made one final event, three semis and four quarters.
There's no dash on the Pro...
There's no dash on the Pro Stock bikes; just a big shift light to signal the rider. Hitting the proper shift points is critical, and the light is actually timed ahead in the first few gears because of the reaction lag time.
Because Pro Stock rules dictate...
Because Pro Stock rules dictate that the bikes must resemble the production machines, and the stock V-Rod doesn't have bodywork (plus Harley-Davidson wanted the racebike to resemble the stock V-Rod), the Pro Stock V-Rods are like aerodynamic bricks. NHRA gives them some engine leeway to make up for the aerodynamic drag.
The Screamin' Eagle/Vance...
The Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines riders were one-two heading into the final NHRA six-race "Countdown to the Championship". Krawiec celebrates one of his four finals victories in Atlanta earlier in the season.
"Without Matt's input, it would've taken a lot longer to get the program going," Andrew Hines said. "He helped turn us in the right direction. He has a lot of little insights into everything. With my dad and me and him around, we can all bounce ideas off each other and everybody thinks a little differently. Matt's really good at setting a chassis up and building a bike and getting everything laid out right, nice and clean, so you don't ever have wiring issues or anything like that."
At the first event of the 2004 season, in Gainesville, Florida, Hines and the team made history. Facing teammate G.T. Tonglet, Hines won his and Harley's first Pro Stock Bike race in the all-Harley final, the first time a V-twin had won an NHRA event.
Andrew Hines (near lane) demonstrates...
Andrew Hines (near lane) demonstrates how a quicker reaction time off the lights (as long as it's not too quick, resulting in a red light disqualification) can lead to a significant advantage right off the line. With a field of 16 riders often qualifying within a total of less than two-tenths of a second, every fraction counts.
The win was the beginning of a season that ended with Hines becoming the youngest ever NHRA champion when he won the Pro Stock Bike title at 21. Hines then repeated in '05 and '06, becoming only the third rider in NHRA history to win three titles. In '07 he won a career best five finals, but lost the title by six points, 3211 to 3206. Hines had an off year in '08, winning twice and finishing fourth overall. But teammate Eddie Krawiec emerged as a force, bringing the number one plate back to the Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines team in only his second full year.
Spend any time with Vance and you understand why he and his company are successful. Not only does he understand every aspect of racing, from the technical to the riding, but he also understands business and marketing, and his enthusiasm is infectious. Vance continues to be hands-on in most ways, though he only gets to a handful of races a year. He can do that because he and Byron Hines have built a smooth running team that doesn't need a lot of babysitting. Both riders work on their own bikes between runs. Scott Sceurman helps out Andrew and Ray Viers, who doubles as the truck driver, is an all around guy who helps out Krawiec. Even Byron Hines lets the boys do their thing. "When it comes to the engine stuff, if we've got an issue, it's like, 'Come over here,'" Matt Hines said. "Me and Scott and Andrew, we work on the engines back at the shop as far as doing the regular maintenance and some of the R&D stuff." Krawiec works more on the marketing and business side. "People who call for a tech phone call, they're pretty shocked to get me on the phone sometimes," Krawiec said.