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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