Lucas Oil Racing TV's Hector Arana Jr. ready for a fast start to the Countdown

CHARLOTTE (Sept. 17) -- Lucas Oil Racing TV rider Hector Arana Jr. doesn't want to race his dad in the first round of the NHRA Carolina Nationals on Sunday in Charlotte, but he really doesn't want to lose to his dad in the first round.

Arana has an 0-3 record against his father, Hector Sr., in 2016. Those losses have come in the first round, and two of them came when the Aranas qualified Nos. 8 and 9.

Arana sped to the No. 8 qualifying spot in Charlotte and his father is No. 9, so they'll square off in the first round again.

"He's had me all this year," Arana said. "We're a little closer now and we'll see what happens."

That Charlotte also marks the first race of the Countdown to the Championship doesn't make it easier on Arana Racing. The Countdown is NHRA's playoffs, a six-race stretch that concludes the season and crowns champions in four professional classes. Arana is seventh in the points standings, and a good start to the Countdown is important to his championship aspirations.

"Now is not the time for one of us to go out early," Arana said. "We'll move forward from here. We're at least guaranteed one bike will go to the second round. All we can do is build off of that and do our best. We'll then go home and work hard and figure something out."

Arana comes speeding in the Countdown after a strong three-race stretch that saw him reach the final at the U.S. Nationals and the semifinals in the other two races, so he expected more than a top lap of 6.876 seconds at 194.86 mph in Charlotte.

"We're a little off on the tune-up," Arana said. "It's weird. You run good at one track, you come to the next and you're looking forward to it, and then all of a sudden you're down 3 mph from the other people. Our 60-foot times are still good, so we're checking everything and going through the tune-up. We'll do our best tomorrow. That's all we can do."

Pro Stock Motorcycle eliminations start at 1 p.m., Sunday. FOX Sports 1 will broadcast all the elimination action from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., Sunday. (All times listed in ET).

Hector Arana Jr. sped to the No. 8 qualifying spot at the NHRA Carolina Nationals in Charlotte and will square off against his father Hector Sr. in the first round.

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.

Visit LucasOil.com, LucasOilRacing.TV, and GeigerMediaGlobal.com for more information.