The Vance & Hines team has announced that Angelle Sampey, NHRA’s winningest female racer, will ride the company’s new four-valve Suzuki-powered Pro Stock Motorcycle in the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. The team’s quest for the championship in 2021 is a partnership between Vance & Hines and global food producer Mission Foods.
Sampey’s 43 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle wins make her the NHRA’s top female racer. She has the fourth-most wins in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class behind her teammates Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec and the late Dave Schultz. In 2019 and 2020, Sampey was a member of Vance & Hines’ Harley-Davidson-sponsored team. This season, Sampey will be among the first to ride the new Vance & Hines four-valve Suzuki. Sampey began her career on a Suzuki and won three straight championships on the brand in 2000-2002. The new 1850cc four-valve engine delivers nearly 400 hp and will be paired with a custom chassis developed using data from thousands of runs in NHRA competition.
“I’m so excited to be part of the Vance & Hines team again this year,” said Sampey. “This is a first-class company that gives me the best bikes I’ve ever ridden. I’m feeling really good about what we can accomplish together this year.”
Hines and Krawiec will serve as team crew chiefs with longtime Vance & Hines crewmember Scott Sceurman as the bike chief and Ray Veirs as transport driver and bike mechanic.
“We’re happy to be working with Angelle once again,” added Vance & Hines President & CEO Mike Kennedy. “Vance & Hines is in a wonderful position right now. We’ve got one of the top riders in the sport aboard our outstanding new equipment, and we have Mission Foods as our new team partner. I couldn’t have hoped for anything better as we go into the 2021 season.”
Multi-billion-dollar company Mission Foods, the world’s largest manufacturer of best-selling tortillas and wraps, joins the effort as a sponsor of the new team. The food giant shows its passion for motorsports with sponsorships in IndyCar, AFT, and GT3 racing and now enjoys relationships with both Arrow McLaren SP and Vance & Hines.
“Terry Vance and I have talked about putting together a race team, and I was overjoyed to get his invitation to work with Angelle and the Vance & Hines crew,” said Juan Gonzalez, president and CEO of Mission Foods. “NHRA has a great tradition and loyal fan base, we can’t wait to see our brand and products at this year’s NHRA races.”
The new team will feature the brilliant yellow and red Mission Foods logo on the race bikes, rider, crew, and the team transporter at all scheduled Pro Stock Motorcycle events for the 2021 season beginning with the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, March 12-14 at Gainesville Raceway.