Hines was born on May 1, 1972, and built his career primarily through the United States Auto Club ranks. His three USAC national titles across three different disciplines mark him as one of the more versatile open-wheel competitors of his generation. In 2022, he was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame, a recognition of his decade-spanning impact on American short-track racing.
Hines earned his first USAC national championship in the Silver Crown series in 2000 and followed it with the National Sprint Car championship in 2002. These titles established him among the elite of American open-wheel racing. His midget career ran parallel to his sprint car work, and in 2015 he captured the USAC National Midget championship, demonstrating continued competitiveness well into the second decade of his career.
In 2007, while racing USAC sprint, midget, and Silver Crown cars for Tony Stewart Racing, Hines suffered serious injuries in an off-road motorcycle accident — a fractured pelvis, fractured left femur, and dislocated right knee — which temporarily sidelined him. He recovered and resumed his USAC career.
A notable technical achievement came on May 17, 2008, when Hines recorded the fastest midget car lap ever run on an asphalt quarter-mile, posting a 10.845-second qualifying lap at Slinger Super Speedway.
Hines made several forays into NASCAR alongside his open-wheel work. He attempted to qualify for a Busch Series race in 2000 but did not make the field. In 2003, he ran five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races for team owner Jim Smith, logging results including an eleventh at Texas Motor Speedway and thirteenth-place finishes at Martinsville and Phoenix.
In 2004, Hines drove three Busch Series races under the Hungry Drivers program for Tommy Baldwin, then spent the full year in the Truck Series with ThorSport Racing as a replacement for Matt Crafton, earning an 18th-place points finish. He strung together eight consecutive top-17 finishes mid-season and led two laps at Gateway.
His 2005 Truck Series season with ThorSport in the No. 13 was more difficult — only seven top-20 finishes in 23 races — and he was released before the final two events. He also drove for FitzBradshaw Racing in the 2006 Busch Series before departing that arrangement and returning to open-wheel racing.
In 2013, Hines returned to NASCAR trucks for the inaugural Mudsummer Classic dirt race at Eldora Speedway with ThorSport, finishing 13th after starting 16th.
After his active driving career, Hines transitioned into a management role in NASCAR, serving as Competition Director for the ThorSport truck team — the same organization he drove for during multiple NASCAR campaigns.
Tracy Hines represents a type of American racing career built across disciplines and sanctioning bodies, with USAC as his primary stage. His triple USAC national championship achievement, the 2008 Slinger midget lap record, and his Hall of Fame induction in 2022 cement his place in American short-track history. His subsequent work as a NASCAR team official extended his influence beyond the cockpit.