IN IT TO WIN IT

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When he’s whipping around the track in his 2013 Mastersbilt XLT, or 2015 Mastersbilt XLT Chassis, Jeremy Hines knows that his crew is cheering the loudest in the stands.

Racing is a family affair for Hines and his crew.

His father, Rick, has 150-plus wins during his 20-plus years career in the racing world and is also a crew chief and mechanic on Jeremy Hines’ cars.

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Jeremy Hines’ uncle, Don Hines, also works as a mechanic; his brother Joe Hines is a part of the crew along with buddy Johnny Cain.

When he’s not racing against him, Jeremy Hines’ other brother, Jacoby Hines, also supports.

In the pits before the racing starts, Jeremy Hines’ kids, Luke and Emma, are there supporting along with his wife, Carrie.

During his career of dirt-track racing, Hines has amassed 129 wins at speedways across multiple states.

Walking around his garage off U.S. 31, framed photos of the Hines family and their championships cover the entirety of the walls.

There’s also a trophy at every turn in the mechanical haven.

In his household growing up, Hines had to get his education in order to race.

“I started racing in 2000; we’re right at 15 years now,” Hines said. “My dad was racing in 1980 and I was 3 years old. I picked it up from him and after graduating from Franklin College we threw our hats off and were off to racing.

“My boy and daughter will come out and help me in the pits. My uncles and buddies, mom and dad, don’t miss. Grandma and grandpa come out and support during the races.”

In 2008 he won 23 races, and 2011 Hines took the UMP National Championships.

“Since 2006, we’ve been averaging around 15 and 16 races per year,” Hines said. “This last year I had 10 wins, and we’re on seven for this year. We have a long way to go. You want to race from March to October. We race everywhere, mostly in the four states surrounding us. Sometimes we will go down south to places like Alabama.”

Hines said that the goal is to one day pass Rick in the wins column.

While they may be competitive, Hines has a special bond with his father through racing.

“Dad and I were the first father-son to finish first and second as father and son at Bloomington Speedway a little while back,” Hines said. “That was pretty neat; we ended up doing it three times that year around 2003 or ’04. Dad has won 150 some races, and I looked up to him.”

“We were on a roll for a while there. We’ve been fortunate enough to do this.”

Thus far this season, Hines has a handful of wins.

Unfortunately, Hines, like many other drivers, has battled a few mechanical issues this season.

“Early in the season we had some mechanical issues and won a couple of races,” Hines said. “Then in the month of July, we won seven races. In August we won the Hall of Fame classic in Brownstown and this past weekend, in Twin Cities, we were in the lead before we broke. It’s just some of the highs and lows of racing. Sometimes the mechanical bug will get you.”

While he’s seen a number of tracks, there’s no doubt where Hines prefers to race.

“Brownstown is really my favorite race track,” Hines said. “It’s 14 miles down the road, it’s clean and well-prepared 99 percent of the time. If you win in Brownstown, you can win in a lot of other places. It’s a prestigious track; a lot of good drivers come there. It’s hard to win in Brownstown. I’ve won at a lot of different tracks, but Brownstown is still my favorite.”

There may be another Hines coming through the racing ranks in the next decade.

“Luke (Hines’ son) sure does act like he wants to race,” Hines said. “We’ll see. Dad’s gig was that I had to get through school (college) and then we will check it out. I just dabbled in a few races during my senior year of college and from there we’ve raced heavy.”

On the track, Hines always looks to pull into the lead spot.

“I like to test myself and be competitive,” Hines said. “You try to be a controlled, aggressive (driver). There’s fender benders from time to time, but most of the time you’re not picking up the big check if you’re missing the fenders on your car.”

In his spare time, Hines enjoys spending time with his kids and attending their sporting events.

Hines, who also works full time as a Material Specialist Supervisor for Brownstown Electric Supply, doesn’t have a timetable for his racing career.

The pinnacle for Hines would be racing full time.

“I ask myself why I still race sometimes,” Hines said with a smile. “We’ve had quite a few cars over the years. It’s a bug, an addiction. It’s a bad drug.”

Until that final race comes, Hines will continue revving his 421 Warrior Race Engine.

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