Andrew Hines takes on new role in restructured Vance & Hines/Mission Foods/Suzuki NHRA PSM team

The company recently announced a strategic partnership with Suzuki that will commission Vance & Hines to operate the Suzuki Race Team for NHRA Pro Stock motorcycle racing. Suzuki and Vance & Hines have a long history of NHRA success, with seven NHRA PSM Championships under their belt.

Andrew is a six-time NHRA PSM champion with a class of 56 national wins, and is the son of Vance & Hines co-founder Byron Hines. He has raced and worked full-time for Vance & Hines since 2000, but also spent his childhood on racetracks and in race shops.

“Being a crew chief will be a big plus for the team and me,” Hines said. “My experience on the saddle for two decades, along with the great feedback from our riders, will factor into how I make the tuning decisions for the team. I’m delighted to be 100% focused on the bikes, Angelle and Eddie. Winning the championship is our goal and this new approach makes us a stronger team.”

Angelle Sampey is the winningest woman in NHRA racing and all motorsports with 45 victories to her name. She was a three-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion (2000, 2001 and 2002). Sampey joined Vance & Hines in 2019, and in 2021 Angelle competed on a Suzuki Vance & Hines taking two wins. She also reset Suzuki’s all-time best speed of 202.03 mph in Charlotte and finished second in the NHRA countdown to the championship.

Eddie Krawiec, four-time champion (2008, 2011, 2012, 2017), has racked up 49 NHRA PSM wins. He has been with the Vance & Hines team since 2007 and was the first team member to enter the Denso 200 MPH Club. Its current top speed is 203.49 mph. For 2022, Krawiec is swapping its twin-cylinder Buell for a Vance & Hines-powered Suzuki.

“Andrew’s move to Crew Chief is special for Byron and for me,” the Vance & Hines co-founder said. Terry Vance. “We’ve seen Drew grow in the sport, become a champion and now take on the lead role in the team. He has the right combination of skills to excel in this position for us.”

The team will race this season with the NHRA-approved second-generation Suzuki Hayabusa body and will work with the NHRA to gain approval for the all-new, third-generation Hayabusa. Once approved by the NHRA, the new body will be available for all Suzuki-mounted riders to use in 2023.

The 2022 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle season begins at the GatorNationals at Gainesville, Florida March 10-13, 2022. The PSM program includes 15 stages in 2022 with the final at the Auto Club finals in Pomona, California.

SOURCEVance & Hines