Lucas Oil's Hector Arana Sr. takes circuitous route to No. 7 qualifying spot in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS (Sept. 24) -- Lucas Oil Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Hector Arana Sr. was happy to qualify in the top half of the field for the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals on Saturday at Gateway Motorsports Park, but he was even happier to simply be at the racetrack this week.

"I owe this race to (fellow team owner) Junior Pippin," Arana said, "because without him, we would probably still be in North Carolina."

After the race in Charlotte last weekend, Arana and his team had mechanical problems with their motorhome. Pippin came to the rescue, sending a motorhome to Charlotte to tow the Arana Racing trailer to Gateway.

"We got stuck in Charlotte," Arana said. "We were ready to go on Sunday night, and I saw the reverse light on with the truck running. I checked, and it's in neutral and the reverse light is on, so I thought, 'Something's wrong here.'

A master mechanic, Arana tried to work on the problem and got the transmission to go into reverse.

"We finished everything and it will now go in forward and reverse," Arana said. "As a matter of fact, I told Junior, 'Hey, Junior, it goes in reverse,' and he said, 'You can't get to St. Louis in reverse.' I told him if it goes in reverse, it should go in drive."

It did but it wouldn't change gears, so Arana was stuck. Pippin then drove from his home near Atlanta to Charlotte to take the Arana hauler to St. Louis. They arrived Thursday night in time to set up for the weekend.

"It wouldn't shift," Arana said, "so we had to get it towed, and Junior came and picked me and brought me all the way here. He drove from Atlanta to pick me up and bring me here so we could get here on time and at least park inside on Thursday and set up."

Meanwhile, Hickory Enclosed Trailer Sales and Racing Performance Motorcoaches worked on Arana's motorhome, repairing it and delivering it to Gateway Friday.

Once Arana got the bike ready for qualifying, it's been fast and consistent. His best run was 6.880 seconds at 195.34 mph, good enough for No. 7, but he wants more.

"The bike is coming around," Arana said. "Four consistent runs. I'm asking Hector (Arana Jr.) now, 'Let's look at the clutch.' I know, I know it can go quicker, so let's see what happens."

Arana will square off against Karen Stoffer in the first round of eliminations after Stoffer qualified No. 11 with a run of 6.904 seconds at 194.60 mph.

Pro Stock Motorcycle eliminations start at noon, Sunday, and will air live from 1 to 4 p.m. on FOX Sports 1. (All times listed in CT).

Lucas Oil Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Hector Arana Sr. was happy to qualify in the top half of the field for the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals on Saturday at Gateway Motorsports Park.

Founded in 1989 by Forrest and Charlotte Lucas, Lucas Oil Products is the world leader of high-performance lubricants and problem-solving additives and produces and markets more than 270 unique formulations in more than 40 countries. Products include engine oils, greases, gear lubes, problem-solving additives, and car-care products. Please visit LucasOil.com for more information.

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