Father beats son: Red-light decides battle of the Aranas in Norwalk

NORWALK, Ohio (June 26) -- The battle between father and son was over before it ever started.

Lucas Oil Racing TV rider Hector Arana Jr. left .005-second too soon, drawing a red-light and handing the first-round victory in the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on Sunday at Summit Motorsports Park to his dad, Lucas Oil racer Hector Arana Sr.

Arana Sr. didn't see the win light come on in his lane, as his bike didn't exactly make a good pass, so he was surprised when his son and NHRA officials signaled him to go to the winner's lane at the top end of the racetrack.

"You know, it's not easy racing your own son," Arana Sr. said. "I was more focused on him, making sure he was ready, staging and all that. There's no head games or nothing, and we are playing fair, but I lost my concentration and that's not good. So I had a lousy run and he's flying, and I didn't look at the scoreboard, so I didn't know I won.

"And then at the end, he was pointing at me to go to the winner's side and I'm like, 'Me?' They said, 'Well, Hector red-lighted.' So it was bittersweet."

Arana Sr.'s winning pass was 7.031 seconds at 194.07 mph while his son made a run of 6.931 seconds at 195.59 mph.

In the second round against eventual race winner Eddie Krawiec, Arana Sr. made a much better pass, 6.951 seconds at 193.35 mph, but the No. 1 qualifier sped to the semifinals with a 6.909 at 194.35 mph as the temperatures rose in northern Ohio.

"Second round I was much better," Arana Sr. said. "We just have to keep digging in there and we have to found some power. We are working on it, and we've got some things working, and hopefully soon we can find some power -- sooner rather than later."

Arana Jr. had been solid on the Tree all during qualifying, but the rush of race day may have caught him.

"All weekend I had good lights," Arana Jr. said. "I was really focused and on point. I had a .002 in the first round (of qualifying) and a .006 the next time and then I red-lit, so I was right there on the verge. When I went into it today with the extra adrenaline of race day, it was just enough to put me over the line and I was .005 red.

"But at the same time, I would rather be right there on point than have a .100 light and get outrun that way."

Arana Jr., though, was pleased with the performance of his Buell. The next race on the schedule is in Chicago, where he's won the last two years.

"We found some power in the tune-up, and we were able to pick up and run our best back-half of the weekend," Arana Jr. said. "We ran 195, one of the best mph of the weekend. We are really happy about that because it was one of the top speeds of the meet with some of the worst weather."

Lucas Oil Racing TV rider Hector Arana Jr. (below) left .005-second too soon, drawing a red-light and handing the first-round victory in the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on Sunday at Summit Motorsports Park to his dad, Lucas Oil racer Hector Arana Sr. (above).

 

 

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Lucas Oil pro Hector Arana Sr. to race son in Norwalk first round

NORWALK, Ohio (June 25) -- In an increasingly competitive Pro Stock Motorcycle class, the possibility always exists for teammates to have to race each other in the first round. That's exactly what happened to the Arana Racing team in the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals this weekend at Summit Motorsports Park.

But to take it one step further, the teammates are father and son: Lucas Oil rider Hector Arana Sr. and Lucas Oil Racing TV racer Hector Arana Jr.

Son qualified No. 8 while dad qualified No. 9, so when the Christmas Tree comes down in the first round of eliminations Sunday, they'll have to race each other. But don't expect dad/team owner Hector Arana Sr. to give his son any slack.

"It's definitely bittersweet," Arana said. "But I know he wants to win just as bad as I want to win. Like I told him earlier, 'Don't count your chickens yet because I'm going for the win.' "

And there are no team orders between father and son, Arana said.

"Of course we're going to go for it," Arana said. "I want to win just as bad as he does. If I don't, I might as well quit racing, and that's not going to happen."

Arana's best pass in qualifying was 6.897 seconds at 194.97 mph, just .007-second slower than his son. Arana also made four good passes in qualifying, piling up data to get his Lucas Oil Buell better for Sunday's race.

"Is it enough?" Arana said. "We did get plenty of data, but I've been going from one extreme to the other to see what it does. Now, I've just got to find the best of both ends of those extremes. Let's see if I can make this bike leave and run better."

Whomever leaves better in the first round could determine the winner between father and son, and both have been known to rip off good lights.

"I can do it," Arana said. "Let's see what happens. May the best man win."

The first two rounds of eliminations will air live on FOX Sports 1 beginning at noon, Sunday, with a three-hour recap later in the evening, starting at midnight.

Lucas Oil rider Hector Arana Sr. will face son Hector Jr., rider of the Lucas Oil Racing TV Pro Stock Motorcycle, in round one of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.

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Hector Arana Jr. continues to make progress with Lucas Oil Racing TV bike

NORWALK, Ohio (June 25) -- Lucas Oil Racing TV rider Hector Arana Jr. has had an un-Hector Arana Jr.-like season in 2016, but the Pro Stock Motorcycle rider is clearly making progress.

Arana has finished in the top five in the points standings in each of his five seasons in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. To start 2016, though, he struggled out of the gate.

But he qualified No. 3 in Englishtown, N.J., and raced to the second round, and he followed that up with another top-half qualifying effort at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals this weekend at Summit Motorsports Park.

"I'm very pleased with this Lucas Oil Racing TV Buell," Arana said. "We're starting to make some progress. It's been a long road, but I feel like we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

"We're definitely on the right track. The bike is consistently leaving the line well."

Arana snared the No. 8 qualifying spot with a pass of 6.890 seconds at 193.27 mph, but he was especially proud of his run in the final session, 6.925 seconds at 193.24 mph, run in the heat of the day Saturday. That was the fourth-quickest run for the round, and with higher temperatures expected Sunday, it could bode well for him in eliminations.

"We stumbled on a couple of things right before the last session," Arana said. "Unfortunately, it was before the worst session of the day, weather-wise. The heat was there, so we were unable to run faster than the prior sessions because of the conditions. We're on the right track, though.

"It was a good run in the heat, and we found some stuff. My 60-foot was a little off, but it was still right there at No. 2. We'll work at it, go from there, and see what happens."

Arana will have to race his dad in the first round Sunday, as Hector Sr. qualified No. 9 with a pass of 6.897 seconds at 194.97 mph.

"We have to race each other in the first round, but it guarantees one bike going to the second round," Arana said. "We'll go from there. We're both going to work our hardest, and whoever has the best tune-up and is on their game will be the guy who wins."

The first two rounds of eliminations will air live on FOX Sports 1 beginning at noon, Sunday, with a three-hour recap later in the evening, starting at midnight.

Lucas Oil Racing TV is the first streaming TV network dedicated solely to the world of motorsports -- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The new network is the world's premier motorsports destination. Programming includes live and pre-taped racing, expanded pre- and post-race action, behind-the-scenes content, unseen interviews, automobile build shows, and an extensive library of national and international motorsports content. The app is available through www.LucasOilRacing.TVfor viewing on smartphones and tablets, as well as Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Android Tablets, and Roku. Subscriptions are $59.99 with a one-year agreement, or $6.99 a month for a pay-as-you-go plan. Sign-ups are available now on www.LucasOilRacing.TV.

Lucas Oil Racing TV rider Hector Arana Jr. snared the No. 8 qualifying spot with a 6.890 at 193.27 mph and will face father Hector Sr. in round one at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

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Lucas Oil Racing TV rider Hector Arana Jr. would love to follow dad to Norwalk winner's circle

NORWALK, Ohio (June 21) -- The first victory of Lucas Oil Racing TV racer Hector Arana Jr.'s riding career came at the U.S. Nationals in 2011, but the first professional win of his career came in 2008 at Summit Motorsports Park, site of this weekend's Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

Arana served as crew chief for his father, Hector Sr., before he started racing Lucas Oil Pro Stock Motorcycles, and after years of trying, his dad finally broke through with a victory in Norwalk.

"It's where Arana Racing, my dad, got its first win in 2008," Arana said. "That track will always be a place I'll remember. It'll always be the favorite one, and now I'd like to get a win there."

Hector Sr. mowed through the field that day, eventually beating Craig Treble in the final round.

"It was awesome," Arana said. "We kept going rounds even though we had a couple of mishaps. We got it straightened out, and then it rained. We just went rounds, and it was awesome. When he left the line and didn't red-light in the final and we won, that was the best feeling in the world."

Arana would love to duplicate that feeling as a rider. He has two No. 1 qualifiers at Norwalk, in 2011 and 2015, and raced to the final round in 2012, but he's still looking for that elusive Wally -- and ice cream scoop -- as a winner there. The racetrack awards a billet ice cream scoop to winners, symbolic of the famous ice cream served to fans there.

"Norwalk's got awesome fans, and I love the facility and the Baders (track owners)," Arana said. "They do a great job with the fans and the competitors. Of course, all the ice cream, who doesn't love that? It's just a fine time."

Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying sessions are scheduled for 5 and 7:30 p.m. ET, Friday, and 1 and 3:30 p.m., Saturday. Eliminations start at noon, Sunday. FOX Sports 1 will carry qualifying action from 8 to 9 p.m., Friday, and 7 to 8 p.m., Saturday. The first two rounds of eliminations will air live beginning at noon, Sunday, with a three-hour recap later in the evening, beginning at midnight.

Lucas Oil Racing TV is the first streaming TV network dedicated solely to the world of motorsports -- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The new network is the world's premier motorsports destination. Programming includes live and pre-taped racing, expanded pre- and post-race action, behind-the-scenes content, unseen interviews, automobile build shows, and an extensive library of national and international motorsports content. The app is available through www.LucasOilRacing.TV for viewing on smartphones and tablets, as well as Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Android Tablets, and Roku. Subscriptions are $59.99 with a one-year agreement, or $6.99 a month for a pay-as-you-go plan. Sign-ups are available now on www.LucasOilRacing.TV.

Lucas Oil Racing TV rider Hector Arana Jr. has two No. 1 qualifiers in Norwalk, Ohio, and raced to the final round in 2012, but he's still looking for that elusive Wally as a winner there.

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Norwalk, site of first career win, holds special memories for Lucas Oil's Hector Arana Sr.

NORWALK, Ohio (June 20) -- The thought of racing in the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals this weekend at Summit Motorsports Park puts a smile on Lucas Oil rider Hector Arana Sr.'s face.

Arana, the 2009 Pro Stock Motorcycle champion, loves Norwalk for many of the same reasons a lot of NHRA competitors do: The Bader family treats racers well, and Norwalk is a top-notch racetrack. But there's another reason as well.

"That place is a beautiful facility," Arana said. "It's not just beautiful, but to give me my first win, I could never forget that. Not only was it my first win, but I had my boys with me, working with me. We won that event, and it's a memory I will treasure for the rest of my life."

The year was 2008, and Arana had been toiling in the class since 1990 trying to get his first victory. After 19 years of blood, sweat, and tears, he finally broke through in Norwalk. He beat No. 4 qualifier Matt Guidera, No. 5 qualifier Matt Smith, and No. 1 qualifier Eddie Krawiec before outrunning No. 10 Craig Treble in the final round.

As he recalls the time immediately after the final round, Arana breaks out in a big laugh.

"The reason why I laugh is because it was 19 years, on and off, that I was going to the races but hadn't won," Arana said. "I finally won! They gave me this trophy, and I'm taking pictures, but (NHRA) says, 'Hector, we need the trophy.' "

Arana wasn't giving up the Wally that easily, however.

"Uh, uh," Arana told them. "This is my trophy."

"Hey, we need the trophy," NHRA officials replied.

"No, I worked for 19 years! This is my trophy."

NHRA officials persisted.

"I hear the Pro Stock winner being interviewed, and I look back, and he's got a trophy," Arana said. "Here comes the Funny Car winner, and they said, 'Hector, trust us, we'll have your trophy at the staging lanes.' "

Arana was then told to look at the bottom of the trophy.

"I looked underneath the trophy, and sure enough it said 'Top Fuel,' " Arana said with a laugh. "I apologized to the others who had to do an interview with no trophy to hold on to!"

Arana has since added six more victories and the 2009 championship to his résumé, but that day in Norwalk will always be special.

Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying sessions are scheduled for 5 and 7:45 p.m. ET, Friday, and 12:30 and 3:15 p.m., Saturday. Eliminations start at noon, Sunday. FOX Sports 1 will air qualifying action from 8 to 9 p.m. ET, Friday, and 7 to 8 p.m., Saturday, and eliminations from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., Sunday.

Lucas Oil rider Hector Arana Sr. scored his first career victory in Norwalk, Ohio, and hopes
to be successful again this weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

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First round-win of 2016 has Lucas Oil Racing TV rider Hector Arana Jr. pumped about future

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 12) -- Lucas Oil Racing TV rider Hector Arana Jr. knocked one monkey off his back in the NHRA Summernationals on Sunday at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, and he'd love to knock another off soon.

Arana beat Jim Underdahl to score his first round-win of the season. Next, Arana has his sights set on a race victory that would be his first since St. Louis last year.

"We're definitely heading in the right direction," Arana said. "I was doing really well, and I had the No. 1 60-foot for three of the runs, so that's very impressive. Now, we've just got to get the bike to run the back half like she used it. We're really close, and we'll get there."

After a slow start to the 2016 Pro Stock Motorcycle season, Arana qualified No. 3 in Englishtown -- his best performance of year. He then knocked off Underdahl with a pass of 6.921 seconds at 192.33 mph, overcoming Underdahl's 7.089-second pass at 187.63 mph.

"That was the first round-win this year, right?" Arana said. "Hopefully, I can go a couple of rounds faster than going one round at a time. We'll get there."

Arana then squared off against Chip Ellis, who had one of the best elapsed times of the first round. Arana had a huge advantage on the starting line with a .027-second reaction time to Ellis' .079, but his pass of 7.011 seconds at 193.35 mph couldn't turn on the win light. Ellis made a run of 6.903 seconds at 194.21 mph, making up Arana's starting-line advantage early in the run.

"Unfortunately, for whatever reason, we bogged off the line," Arana said. "I've got to figure out why it did that because I didn't touch the clutch tune-up or anything. Everything looked good before the run and it looked promising, so evidently something happened. We've got to go in there, download our information, study all that, and see if we can find a cause to what happened."

Arana returns to the Lucas Oil Racing TV Buell for the 10th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on June 24-26 at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park.

Hector Arana Jr. beat Jim Underdahl to score his first round-win of the season in Englishtown and now has his sights set on a race victory that would be his first since St. Louis last year.

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Lucas Oil rider Hector Arana Sr. shakes off first-round defeat in Englishtown

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 12) -- Lucas Oil Buell rider Hector Arana Sr. shook off a first-round exit in the NHRA Summernationals on Sunday at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, perhaps knowing better times are ahead for the veteran Pro Stock Motorcycle racer.

Arana, the 2009 series champion, found some performance in his Lucas Oil bike in the weeks before Englishtown and then spent the weekend here working on a new tune-up.

He qualified No. 9 but then couldn't get around No. 8 qualifier Steve Johnson in the first round.

"Today didn't go as planned, but sometimes that's how it goes," Arana said. "Overall, I believe we performed well. Qualifying went pretty good for us, but we've got to go and see why we started losing performance in eliminations. Once we find out the problem, we can fix it and we should be able to stay consistent."

Veterans Arana and Johnson had nearly identical reaction times, meaning the race would be won on the track. Johnson made a better pass, 6.947 seconds at 192.11 mph to 6.987 at 189.82 mph, to advance to the second round.

"My goal is to stay consistent, running the same e.t or improving," Arana said. "But it seemed to go in the other direction. We'll find it and we're going to do better at the next race."

That would be the 10th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on June 24-26 at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park.

Arana also was pleased with the improved performance by his son, Hector Jr., who qualified No. 3 and won in the first round.

"Hector qualified third, he's running good, and the numbers were good," Arana said. "It is a good feeling because I know he loves this. I know he has passion for racing: He loves it, he breathes it. I can't wait until we perform better and start winning rounds and going to the finals. That's our goal."

Lucas Oil Buell rider Hector Arana Sr. shook off a first-round exit in the NHRA Summernationals on Sunday at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, perhaps knowing better times are ahead.

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Starting over, Lucas Oil racer Hector Arana Sr. knows ideal tune-up is within grasp

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 11) -- Lucas Oil Buell Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Hector Arana Sr. is starting from scratch in the NHRA Summernationals this weekend at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, and what a start it's been, as he qualified No. 9 with a fast bike.

"I'm starting over," Arana said. "I'm trying to figure out what this motor wants, and I haven't narrowed it down yet."

Continued development has made for a more powerful engine in his Lucas Oil Buell, and that has changed the tune-up parameters. His best pass of 6.851 seconds at 198.03 mph just missed the top half of the field, but his speed was third among the 23 bikes here.

"We're just having tune-up issues, that's all," Arana said. "We found something, and the performance is there. We picked up and are running better. We were trying different things now because all this time the power wasn't there. Now it's there, so our tune-up and clutch combination threw us off."

Still, Arana was smiling, knowing that having good horsepower is a terrific start.

"We qualified well from the get-go, and it gives an opportunity to make changes and see what happens," Arana said. "We were going from one extreme to the other to learn something."

Plus, son Hector Jr. qualified a season-best third, giving dad peace of mind.

"Overall, I'm happy, especially that Hector ran a .79 and he's in third," Arana said. "I couldn't ask for any more than that."

Arana also enjoyed the company of youngest son Adam, who is at the race this weekend on leave from the U.S. Coast Guard.

"It's nice to see Adam again," Arana said "I hadn't seen him since March, and to see him again is great. He's looking great, and I'm happy. The whole family is back together."

Arana starts eliminations against Steve Johnson, who qualified No. 8 with a pass of 6.842 seconds at 195.00 mph.

FOX Sports 1 will carry Friday and Saturday's qualifying action from 9 to 11 a.m., Sunday. Eliminations will air from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Sunday.

Lucas Oil Buell Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Hector Arana Sr. qualified No. 9 with a fast bike in the
NHRA Summernationals this weekend at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown.

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Lucas Oil Racing TV pro Hector Arana Jr. speeds to No. 3 qualifying spot

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 11) -- Hector Arana Jr. has his fast Lucas Oil Racing TV Pro Stock Motorcycle back, and he's ready to contend for an NHRA Summernationals victory on Sunday at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.

Arana, an 11-time winner who has never finished outside the top five in points in his five seasons, had gotten off to a slow start to the 2016 season, but consistent work from his Arana Racing team has paid dividends with a No. 3 qualifying spot.

"Too bad we couldn't get the No. 1 spot," Arana said. "My dad, Louie (Lubliner), Dave (Elk), Andrew (Schulz), all the guys have been working really hard at the shop -- countless, countless hours. We finally got the bike back where it used to be."

Arana's top qualifying pass was 6.799 seconds at 195.65 mph for his best starting spot of the season. The elapsed time was also his best of 2016 and his best since Charlotte last March, when he set the national speed record (6.795 at 199.88 mph).

Solidly in the Englishtown field, Arana then focused on his bike's race-day tune-up.

"We're tuning on it, tweaking on it here and there," Arana said. "Today we did some testing to see if we could improve and try to figure something out for tomorrow. We'll go from there, but we're definitely headed in the right direction.

"We have a consistent motor now, and it's up to us to do our best."

Arana lines up against No. 14 qualifier Jim Underdahl in the first round Sunday. Underdahl's best pass was 6.950 seconds at 193.96 mph. Arana would love to go several rounds Sunday to try to dig his way out of the No. 15 spot in the points standings.

"Tomorrow is very important," Arana said. "I'm just going to do my thing: One round at a time. I'm not going to look too far ahead. I'm going to focus on the round that I'm racing and go from there."

Arana, too, has been boosted by younger brother Adam, the U.S. Coast Guard member who lives in New York. Adam came to the race to support his family this weekend.

"It's nice having Adam here," Arana said. "He lends an extra hand. It's crazy that even though he's been gone more than a full season, when he comes back to the races it's like he was never gone. It's good."

FOX Sports 1 will carry Friday and Saturday's qualifying action from 9 to 11 a.m., Sunday. Eliminations will air from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Sunday.

Lucas Oil Racing TV rider Hector Arana Jr. had gotten off to a slow start this season, but consistent
work has paid dividends with a No. 3 qualifying spot at the NHRA Summernationals in Englishtown.

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Hector Arana Jr. has three good reasons why he'll win Englishtown race

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 8) -- The way Lucas Oil Racing TV-sponsored Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Hector Arana Jr. sees things, this weekend's 47th annual NHRA Summernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park is his for the taking.

"I get butterflies when I think about this race because I know we have a great chance to win," Arana said. "In fact, I can give you three good reasons why we'll take home the Wally."

The 11-time national event winner has been adding up the positives.

"First of all, I live up here now," Arana said. "My fiancée (Nicole Nobile) and I have a place in East Northport, Long Island. That's important because I've won races in every place I've ever lived. I was born in Florida and lived there when I was a kid and I won the Gainesville race before. Then we moved to Indiana and I won Indy. Now I live up here, so logically I should win Englishtown."

Arana's second reason for being so optimistic is that his brother Adam will be coming to the race. Adam once raced himself but joined the United States Coast Guard to serve his country. Recently, Seaman Arana was transferred to Kings Point, Long Island, just up the road from his brother.

"The last two races Adam came to I won," Arana said. "He was stationed in St. Louis when he first got out of boot camp and he was there last year when I won that race. The time before that he was on leave and came to Pomona, Calif., in 2014, and I won that race, too. He's coming this weekend, so there's another reason why I should win."

Finally, there's Arana's Lucas Oil Racing TV Buell, which is tuned up and ready for action.

"My results so far aren't really true to what we are capable of doing," he said. "This bike is fast and I'm ready to race. I would have run a 6.82 in Round 1 in Atlanta (the last tour stop for Pro Stock Motorcycles), but when I was shifting into high gear during that run I hit that big bump in the track and missed the shift. That's not an excuse; it's just what happened.

"We're on the right track with both of our bikes. My dad (Hector Sr.) will be fast also. I can't wait to get to the track and start racing."

Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying sessions are scheduled for 3:45 and 6:15 p.m. ET, Friday, and 1:45 and 4:15 p.m., Saturday. Eliminations start at noon, Sunday. FOX Sports 1 will carry qualifying action from 9 to 11 a.m., Sunday. Eliminations will air from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Sunday.

The way Lucas Oil Racing TV Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Hector Arana Jr. sees things, this weekend's NHRA Summernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park is his for the taking.

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Lucas Oil rider Hector Arana Sr. ready to get 'crank'ing at NHRA Summernationals

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 7) -- Although Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Hector Arana Sr. is a lofty third in the NHRA Mello Yello standings after three national events, the past world champion knows he could be doing better. But some late-arriving and then ultimately unreliable parts have made his Lucas Oil Buell a bit erratic.

"The main thing holding me and Hector (Jr., his son and teammate) back this year has been the crankshafts," Arana said. "We didn't even get our first order filled until two weeks before the season started in Gainesville (Fla.), so we were robbing parts from our backup motors just to get ready for the first race. Then we finally got the new ones and some of them weren't good, so it's been very frustrating for us. We know we should be better.

"They would show us something positive and you'd think, 'OK, now we're getting somewhere, and then they'd fail the next run.' The good news is the supplier has been working really hard for us to figure out how to correct the problem.

"Finally, we are ready to race with good parts that won't let us down. This weekend will show us a lot."

Arana Racing has always run well at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, and this weekend's 47th annual running of the Summernationals would be a great time for both team riders to step up their games.

Arana has enjoyed a little more success at the track than his son, having set his career-best top speed of 199.35 mph there a year ago. He has also recorded two runner-up results (in 2012 and 2013) and was top qualifier there in 2009. Hector Jr. carded his career-best elapsed time of 6.772 seconds at Old Bridge in 2014.

"An ideal weekend would be for both of these Lucas Oil bikes to qualify in the top half of the field and then I don't have to race Hector until the final round," Arana said. "That way one of us wins for sure. I'd also like to get through a race with no parts failure.

"We've been going over the bikes from end to end and really pushing the envelope trying to find a little more speed. I don't like qualifying mid-pack, and that's where we've been the past two races. We haven't been out to test but I've been wearing the dyno out, and we like what we're seeing."

Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying sessions are scheduled for 3:45 and 6:15 p.m. ET, Friday, and 1:45 and 4:15 p.m., Saturday. Eliminations start at noon, Sunday. FOX Sports 1 will carry qualifying action from 9 to 11 a.m., Sunday. Eliminations will air from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Sunday.

Hector Arana Sr. has always run well at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, and this weekend's 47th running of the NHRA Summernationals would be a great time for him to step up his game.

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