Veteran rider Hector Arana Sr., who turns 58 in September, pulled off a holeshot in the first round before running into a buzz saw in round two against eventual race winner L.E. Tonglet at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.
Arana faced an uphill battle in the first round against No. 5 qualifier Chip Ellis, but Arana, the No. 12 qualifier, got off the line first with a .038-second reaction time and made it hold up. His pass of 6.820 seconds at 197.42 mph was slower than Ellis' 6.820-second run at 198.12 mph, but his advantage on the Christmas Tree was enough.
"You know what they say: A squirrel sometimes, now and then, gets a nut," Arana said with a laugh.
And despite the loss to Tonglet, Arana was still smiling at the end of the weekend.
"This Lucas Oil bike, I think we are finding something out," Arana said. "It's coming around. Here in Sonoma, being able to win a round and go on to the next one is a good thing. Being close e.t.-wise, we just have to find a little bit more, but it's coming around."
Arana's pass in the second round was 6.838 seconds at 196.76 mph, not enough to overcome Tonglet's stellar 6.793 at 197.13 mph.
Still, Arana can feel the momentum building as performance is improving as the Countdown to the Championship nears.
"I think it might be a good thing to start getting our rhythm toward the end of the schedule because that's when we need it the most," Arana said. "In the past, we have been on top, and then we start having all kinds of issues. Maybe the role will turn around for us. We are working hard, and it's time to get this Lucas Oil bike to the winner's circle."
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| Lucas Oil Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Hector Arana Sr. pulled off a holeshot win in the first round before running into a buzz saw in round two at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals. |
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