Gator's bite Lucas Oil Pro Stock Motorcyclists Hector Arana Jr., Hector Arana Sr.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 19) -- Lucas Oil Pro Stock Motorcycle drag racers Hector Arana Jr. and Hector Arana Sr. were bitten hard by this year's Gatornationals with both championship hopefuls exiting the contest in Sunday's opening round of eliminations.

Arana Jr. got the worst of it, as he was shutoff at the starting line prior to his run when NHRA Chief Starter Mike Gittings determined his Lucas Oil Racing TV Buell was leaking something on the track. Arana Jr. vehemently argued that he wasn't at fault, but Gittings could not be convinced and disqualified Arana Jr. on the spot.

"First of all, I need to apologize to Mike because I was pretty hot when he was signaling for me to shutoff and I acted inappropriately in expressing my point," Arana Jr. said. "Having said that I still believe the liquid on the track was not from my bike and that whatever it was on the track wasn't oil anyway so I don't understand why I couldn't have made a run.

"It's just really disappointing because we obviously had the bike running strong this weekend, we had qualified in the top half of the field, and we felt we could seriously make a run at the trophy. My emotions run high because this means a lot to me.

"At this point there is nothing we can do but put this whole deal behind us and start preparing for the next race."

The Pro Stock Motorcycle class has six weeks off before racing again April 28-30 at the eighth annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte.

The time off should help Arana Sr. cool off a little as well as he DQ'ed himself with a -.007 red-light start. The miscue handed Scotty Pollacheck the win, and for good measure he ran his best pass of the weekend, a 6.876 at 194.41 mph. Adding to the pain of the situation, Arana posted his fastest pass of the event with a 6.819 at 198.50 mph after fouling out.

"I saw yellow and dropped the clutch and the bike just yanked up the front wheel, obviously out of the beams," Arana Sr. said. "As I passed the Christmas Tree I saw red but I wasn't sure if it was him or me. I was going through my run like normal and when I had the chance to look up I saw his win light already on so I knew it was me.

"It was still a great weekend. Qualifying our Lucas Oil two bikes fifth and seventh and having strong bikes on race day is very encouraging. We didn't have any luck today but we have a lot to look forward to this year. Like Hector said, we need to just forget about this result and start getting ready for Charlotte."

FOX Sports 1 airs live elimination action beginning at 1 p.m., Sunday. (All times listed in EDT).

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.

Please visit www.LucasOil.com and www.GeigerMediaGlobal.com for more information.

Arana Racing earns two top-half spots in Pro Stock Motorcycle's season-opening race

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 18) -- It looks like all the hard work Hector Arana Sr. and his son Hector Arana Jr. put in during the off season is paying off with the dynamite duo making a major statement at the season opening event at Gainesville Raceway. Family patriarch Hector Sr. qualified fifth overall with a 6.813-second pass at 197.02 mph, followed closely by Hector Jr., who earned the seventh spot with a 6.828 at 195.42 mph.

The much-anticipated first 200-mph pass almost came to pass with Eddie Krawiec matching Hector Jr's two-year-old mark of 199.88 mph in Saturday's early session, but that was as close as anyone got to the milestone. The fastest Hector Sr. reached in qualfying was 198.26 mph, while Hector Jr. topped out at 198.08 mph.

"We’ve been following the weather really close and tomorrow is going to be warmer," Hector Sr. said. "The window for that 200-mph pass has gotten smaller and smaller. There are bikes going fast and playing consistently with 199 mph so it’s going to happen this year. We are all flirting with it, but maybe it'll have to wait for another weekend."

Now, with his mind off the historic mark and focused on race day, Hector Sr. says he's found a tune-up he thinks will work.

"When we went testing with my bike all we could do was spin the tire," Hector Sr. said. "We had no control. I also tested Hector’s bike because we had stripped it down to the bare chassis. He had a couple of little air leaks we couldn’t find, so we worked and worked and finally found the leaks, fixed them, then re-wired the bike and put on a brand-new tire. Even then, we couldn’t leave the starting line with that bike either.

"Here again we struggled to leave the starting line the first three runs so I finally made another change because I needed that to stop. Boy, did it stop. I dropped the clutch in Q4 and it almost threw me over the handlebars. I could hear the motor stop before it finally took off. So now we need to find the middle ground in the data and we should be get something really competitive for tomorrow."

Hector Sr. squares off against No. 12 qualifier Scotty Pollacheck, who had a best pass of 6.890 at 189.71 mph.

Across the pit, newly-married Hector Jr., with his bride Nicole by his side, was pleased just to start the year on the good side of the ladder.

"Considering the season we had in 2016, I’m really happy," Arana Jr. said, referring to his eighth-place finish in the 2016 points. "I screwed up that last run; driver error. We should have been in the .70s and that would have improved my spot but we won’t go there and recap what I did. I definitely hurt the run but it’s fine. We’ll put it behind us and be ready in the morning.  

"It definitely takes a little bit of time to get back in a routine and get everybody used to the scramble of a national event. You just can't replicate the pace you need at a race with the short turnaround time and everything when you're testing or at the shop. But it’s like riding a bicycle; after the first time, you know how to do it the rest of your life."

Hector Jr. begins his run at the Gatornationals title opposite Matt Smith, who rode his Victory bagger to a 10th-best 6.857 at 195.17 mph.

Pro Stock Motorcycle eliminations begin at noon, Sunday. FOX Sports 1 will air qualifying highlights at 11 p.m., Saturday, followed by live elimination action beginning at 1 p.m., Sunday. (All times listed in EDT).

Hector Arana Sr. 

Hector Arana Jr. 

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.

Please visit www.LucasOil.com and www.GeigerMediaGlobal.com for more information.

Record holder Hector Arana Jr. focused on first 200-mph Pro Stock Motorcycle pass

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 15) -- Everyone in drag racing will be watching the Pro Stock Motorcycle class this weekend in anticipation of the first 200-mph quarter-mile pass in class history. Without question, one of the favorites to earn this little slice of straight-line history is Lucas Oil TV rider Hector Arana Jr.

"I'd love to be the one to do it," Arana Jr. said. "But there are lots of riders dreaming about the same thing. I think it's going to be done this year, maybe even this weekend, but so much has to fall into place for a number like that. The conditions have to be perfect, so we'll see what happens when we start qualifying and go from there."

Two years ago, at the spring race in Charlotte, Arana Jr. came oh-so-close to the magical mark with a scorching 199.88-mph blast that set an NHRA national record. He backed up that run to make it official with a 199.26-mph run the same weekend.

"That was one of those times when everything went right and the weather was agreeable," Arana Jr. said. "A lot of bikes were making big runs there. Some times when you have a mark like this that everyone's trying to get you can almost
try too hard. You have to just do your thing and if it happens,
it happens.

"We'll definitely try for it if the air and the track are there but it'll have to be in qualifying because once we get to Sunday the main thing is to win the race. This is the first event of the year for the Pro Stock Motorcycles so it's important to get off to a strong start."

Overall, Arana Jr. has registered four of the 10 fastest passes in the class, with runs of 199.37 and 199.08 mph from the 2015 race in Englishtown, N.J., adding to his two record-setting passes in Charlotte.

"It'll be interesting to see how everyone improved this off season," said Arana Jr., who married his longtime sweetheart Nicole Nobile in the offseason. "You can look at testing numbers but you never know if those are 100 percent correct because teams may be trying different things, moving weight around, stuff like that. The real test is on the strip when the lights are on and the stands are full.

"Dad has been working non-stop on the motors and we've gone over these Buells too many times to count. I think we're as prepared as we can be."

Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying sessions are scheduled for 12:45 and 4:15 p.m., Friday, and 12 and 2:30 p.m., Saturday, with eliminations starting at noon, Sunday. Television coverage on FOX Sports 1 begins with two qualifying shows, one at 12 a.m., Friday, and the other at 11 p.m., Saturday, followed by live elimination action beginning at 1 p.m., Sunday. (All times listed in EDT).

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.

Motivation to make history a little different for Lucas Oil pro Hector Arana Sr.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 15) -- Like the rest of his peers in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class, 58-year-old Hector Arana Sr. is praying for perfect conditions this weekend at Gainesville Raceway so he can have a shot at running the first 200-mph pass in class history. But Arana Sr.'s motivations may be a little different than many of his fellow riders.

"Having that 200-mph entry with my name next to it in the record books would be neat because it's there forever, but more than anything, I want to bring glory to Forrest and Charlotte Lucas and Lucas Oil Products," Arana Sr. said. "And I'm not being a typical racer talking about their sponsor; I mean this from my heart. I owe everything I have to the Lucas family."

Arana has been racing Pro Stock Motorcycles for 28 years, 25 of which have been with Lucas Oil branding on the side of his bike. His time with Lucas Oil represents the longest continuous current sponsorship in any form of motorsports.

"One thing you learn as you get a little older and hopefully a little wiser is that the people who truly support what you're doing are everything," Arana Sr. said. "Forrest told me when we first started way back when that as his company grew, his support of my team would grow, and he's certainly kept that promise.

"The happiest moment of my career was when we presented him and Charlotte with the 2009 championship trophy. If we could follow that up with the first 200-mph pass on the Lucas Oil Buell, well that would be pretty great also. We're sure going to try our best."

Arana Sr. already ranks as the third fastest rider in class history after running a 199.35 mph top speed in 2015 at the Englishtown, N.J. race. That was the same event where his son, Hector Arana Jr. set the national record with a 199.88-mph blast.

"We have the capabilities to do this," Arana Sr. said. "Both bikes have tested well and we made a lot of progress in the offseason. Hector and me are both sponsored by Lucas Oil so either one of us getting the record would be fine with me.

"You really need a lot of things to fall into place. The weather and air has to be just right and even something as simple as a big cloud passing over the track when you make a run can be the difference. It also depends where we all line up from one round to the next. The reality is that not just one person can do it; there are several bikes capable of going that fast, if everything falls into place."

Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying sessions are scheduled for 12:45 and 4:15 p.m., Friday, and 12 and 2:30 p.m., Saturday, with eliminations starting at noon, Sunday. Television coverage on FOX Sports 1 begins with two qualifying shows, one at 12 a.m., Friday, and the other at 11 p.m., Saturday, followed by live elimination action beginning at 1 p.m., Sunday. (All times listed in EDT).

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.

Please visit www.LucasOil.com and www.GeigerMediaGlobal.com for more information.