SONOMA, Calif. (AP) — Andrew Hines raced to his third NHRA Mickey Thompson Pro Bike Battle victory Saturday at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals.
The Pro Stock Motorcycle points leader and winner of six of the nine events this season, Hines beat teammate Eddie Krawiec in the final round with a run of 6.912 seconds at 193.24 mph on a Harley-Davidson. Hines earned $25,000 in the eight-rider bonus event.
“Racing through this year and racing here at the Mickey Thompson Pro Bike Battle, I had my focus,” Hines said. “We had a tuneup we could rely on. I’ve always been the guy to put too much pressure on myself, and you take the points out of the equation (for a bonus race), and it always seemed to work out for me, and today was no different.”
Clay Millican took the No. 1 spot in Top Fuel qualifying, Robert Hight topped the Funny Car lineup, Alex Laughlin was fastest in Pro Stock, and Matt Smith led the regular Pro Stock Motorcycle event — all with runs from Friday.
Millican took his third No. 1 qualifier of the year when his 3.698 at 330.96 held up. Hight, the Funny Car points leader, secured his eighth No. 1 qualifier of the year and 68th overall with a 3.858 at 334.65 in a Chevrolet Camaro.
Laughlin had a 6.520 at 210.80 in a Camaro, and Smith ran a 6.779 at a track-record 200.83 on an EBR.
