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SEEKING SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY Hines, Jones and Chevy Head South For USAC National Midget Series Action INDIANAPOLIS (April 9, 2008) -- Tony Stewart Racing's (TSR) Tracy Hines and Levi Jones venture deep in the heart of NASCAR country this ...

Edited: Apr 12, 2008, 2:09 AM

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SEEKING SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY
Hines, Jones and Chevy Head South For USAC National Midget Series Action

INDIANAPOLIS (April 9, 2008) -- Tony Stewart Racing's (TSR) Tracy Hines and Levi Jones venture deep in the heart of NASCAR country this weekend to show race fans what USAC National Midget Car Series racing is all about at Southern National Raceway Park (SNRP) in Kenly, N.C. Saturday's race will mark the fifth time in series history it has appeared in North Carolina. It will also be both Hines' and Jones' first event at the facility.

Hines takes his USAC Midget Series championship points lead into SNRP on Saturday, having taken control of the standings with a solid third-place run at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway this past Sunday. He and the No. 21 TSR/Chevy/Spike team hold a five-point lead over second-place Cole Whitt. Thus far in 2008, Hines has earned two top-five finishes in USAC Midget Series action and will seek his first series victory since the 2006 season.

Jones enters the SNRP event ranked eighth in the USAC Midget Series standings. He and the No. 20 TSR/Chevy/Spike team will be riding the momentum of a strong ninth-place finish at Anderson Speedway last weekend. Jones passed nine cars en route to his first series top-10 finish of the season. He will seek his second career series victory at SNRP on Saturday.

Gates will open to the public at noon EDT for Saturday's USAC Midget Series event at SNRP. Racing is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. The official Web site of SNRP is www.southernnational.net. For more information regarding the facility, please call the track at 919-284-1114.

Levi Jones, driver of the No. 20 TSR/Chevy/Spike -- USAC National Midget Car Series

Does having run well at Anderson Speedway last weekend in the USAC Midget Series make you look forward to heading to Southern National Raceway Park on Saturday?

"Anytime you run well the week before, it makes you anxious to get back in the car as soon as possible. We tested well at Southern National a few weeks ago and that, combined with the progress we made at Anderson last weekend, is the momentum we need to start the season. Coming away from our test in North Carolina, the entire TSR team was pleased with what we learned. Tracy (Hines, teammate) is very confident about the set-ups we're going to start with on Saturday and we will also use some of what we learned at Anderson last week. I think we're both going to have good cars for this weekend and it's definitely possible for us to put Chevy and Bass Pro Shops in victory lane."

You've only competed in the USAC Midget Series full-time for two years, with this being the start of your third season. Does Southern National Raceway Park remind you of any particular track you're familiar with?

"For me, this track is similar to Anderson Speedway. It's about the same in terms of banking, but Southern National has longer straights. Anytime you compete at a track for the first time, you work to get acclimated quickly and learn where you can pass. The TSR team has worked hard to step up our pavement program this year and I think we're going to be very competitive on Saturday."

Tracy Hines, driver of the No. 21/TSR/Chevy/Spike -- USAC National Midget Car Series

TSR recently tested at Southern National Raceway Park. Is the time that you've spent at the track going to benefit the team in this weekend's event?

"I really do think the time we spent at Southern National a few weeks ago will help us on Saturday. We worked on our long-run set-ups and tried to learn as much as we could about how the cars react to longer runs. We learned quite a bit in the two days we spent there and I think the No. 21 car was as good as it could be by the time we were finished testing."

As a veteran in USAC Racing, are there any tracks that you've competed at in the past that remind you of Southern National Raceway Park?

"This track reminds me a lot of South Boston Speedway. It's got long straights and the configuration is similar. I won at South Boston in the Sprint car and I know we're going to be competitive this weekend at Southern National. The TSR team has worked hard to prepare for Saturday's race and I think we're going to have a good shot at putting Chevy and Bass Pro Shops in the winner's circle."

For complete results from this weekend's USAC Racing Series events, log on to www.usacracing.com. For information regarding TSR, Chevy or Bass Pro Shops, please visit www.tonystewartracing.com, www.chevy.com or www.basspro.com.

-credit: -TSR-

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