Cycle News

DRAG RACING NHRA PRO STOCK SERIES ROUND 2/APRIL 13, 2014 ZMAX DRAGWAY/CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA P108 Briefly... we thought was the right adjustment to make," Arana Jr. said. "We actu- ally softened up the clutch before that round, but when we went out there it locked up more than we ever thought it would. Because of that the engine bogged, which has never happened before. Now, we have to figure out why that happened so it doesn't happen again." At the season-opener in Gainesville last month, Matt Smith complained that his new chassis reacted quicker than his 2013 bike and it led to a red-light start. Smith is obviously still fighting that problem because he red-lighted again in the first round, leaving the starting line two-thou- sandths of a second ahead of the green light. "Well, that's two races I've thrown away now," Smith said. "I've got to get this fixed because we can't keep going like that." Smith's wife, Angie, was able to race in Charlotte thanks to a one- race sponsorship with Kandy Maga- zine. The sponsorship included a group of scantily clad umbrella girls, which is a staple of many motors- ports events across the world but relatively new to drag racing. After experiencing the thrill of victory at the season-opener in Gainesville, Steve Johnson knows all too well the agony of defeat after he failed to qualify for the Four-Wide Nation- als. Johnson's best of 6.99 seconds wasn't enough to get into a fast field that featured a 6.96 bump spot. "I'm lost right now," Johnson said. "I don't just ride the bike. The tune- up is mine and right now I'm miss- ing something. We had the engine apart after Gainesville and obviously something isn't right. It's frustrating but thankfully this is only the second race of the season. We have time." Sweden's Elvira Karlsson returned to the United States for her second NHRA race, but once again failed to qualify for the tough 16-bike field. Karlsson, the only rider in Europe to make a six-second run, took deliv- ery of a new Vance & Hines engine during the event but the additional horsepower wasn't enough to get her into the field. Star Racing Buell's Michael Ray is now a perfect two-for-two in qualify- ing after his 6.816-second run from Friday led the field in Charlotte. Ray also made the quickest run during Saturday's qualifying rounds with a 6.822. "We came out on Saturday with a tune-up that we'd use for elimi- nations and I had the best sixty-foot time of my career with a 1.045 and that's really hauling the mail," Ray said. "The way I look at it if I am on my game there's not a bike out there that is going to beat me." Mike Berry has known for a long time that his S&S Buell was capable of 6.8-second performances but his frustration stems from the fact that such runs have been few and far between. Over the last couple of seasons, the book on Berry has included the words "quick" and "in- consistent," the latter of which he'd like to delete. "Sometimes it's unbe- lievable what we do with this bike," said Berry, who races with the help of his longtime friend and crew chief, John Hammock. "We know we can run with almost anyone, but we just can't seem to do it consistently. It's frustrating as hell." In Charlotte, Berry enjoyed one of his better days with a 6.87 that was good for the number eight qualifying spot. As he continues to wait patiently for his first win, Matt Smith Racing Buell's Scotty Pollacheck can't help but laugh at his luck from time to time. Pollacheck had a great re- action time in the final round but watched as Harley teammates Hines and Krawiec motored by for the win. "We needed a little more power than we had today," Pollacheck said. "It's frustrating, but if we keep getting to final rounds I know that a win is go- ing to come." gine combination. Krawiec came from the number seven qualifying spot and advanced from the first quad with a 6.817, finishing second to Lucas Oil Buell's Hector Arana Jr, who won with a 6.805, the quickest pass of the event. "We're in a good place right now," Krawiec said. "To come in here and first and second says a lot for our program. Get- ting to the final round of the Four-Wide is also a big accom- plishment. I'm just like Andrew. I hadn't done much here in the past." CN Final 1. Andrew Hines (Harley- Davidson) 6.859/196.10 mph 2. Eddie Krawiec (Harley- Davidson) 6.874/196.13 mph

• Cover