October 30, 2008
KRAWIEC READY TO RESUME NHRA TITLE CHASE IN LAS VEGAS
Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Team
MILWAUKEE (Oct. 30, 2008)
Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Team Puts Championship Experience to Work
It has been a long five weeks for Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines rider Eddie Krawiec. With two races left on the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing schedule and a Pro Stock Motorcycle championship on the line, Krawiec and the Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines crew have been biding their time since the motorcycle class last raced on September 28 in Memphis. They are more than ready to release that pent-up energy when qualifying begins on Friday for the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“I don’t mind a break but this has been a long time to wait,” said Krawiec. “It would be great to race between Memphis and Las Vegas, but I don’t make the schedule.”
Krawiec lies in second place in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Countdown to One championship chase, just 42 points behind NitroFish Buell rider Matt Smith. At Memphis, Krawiec gained 17 points on the leader by defeating Smith in the third round of eliminations. Krawiec then lost in the final round when an electrical failure shut down his bike just after he left the starting line.
“During the break we rebuilt both of the team’s Harley-Davidson V-Rod motorcycles, and we found a broken wire that was the source of my problem at Memphis,” said Krawiec from the Vance & Hines race shop in Indianapolis. “So the bikes are ready to go, and the team is ready. I’ve never been number one in points, so I think all the pressure is on Smith. He needs to maintain his position.”
The team will be putting extra emphasis on qualifying performance at Las Vegas and at the final race at Pomona, California, Nov. 13-16.
“We are two rounds of eliminations plus two points behind right now,” said Krawiec. “We’d like to out-qualify Smith at both events and eliminate that two-point advantage. Then we’ve got two races – eight rounds of eliminations – to go three rounds more than he does.”
Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines rider Andrew Hines is facing longer odds at Las Vegas. The three-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion is in sixth place, 132 points behind the leader Smith. But Krawiec says his teammate will be a factor down the stretch.
“Andrew will be racing hard, and he obviously brings a lot of experience to the situation,” said Krawiec, who is in his second season with the Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines team and has yet to win a final in regular NHRA competition. “This is a team that has won many championships, and I’ve been getting a lot of advice from Andrew and (crew chief) Matt Hines, which has been priceless and made me feel confident.
“We all want to bring home another championship for Harley-Davidson and Vance & Hines,” said Krawiec. “I hope it comes down to me and Matt Smith in the final round at Pomona, and I need to beat him to get my first win and the championship. That would be something to remember.”
Screamin' Eagle Performance Parts are inspired by and built in the spirit of the raw adrenaline and power of motorcycle racing. Screamin' Eagle Pro parts are specifically designed for race-use applications, while Screamin' Eagle parts offer street-use performance options for the Harley-Davidson motorcycle owner. Visit www.harley-davidson.com for more information.
The Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Pro Stock Motorcycle team is sponsored by Ford Truck, Dunlop, Matco Tools and S100.
Posted to Motorcycle Racing - Drag Racing by Motorsports Journal « Go Back
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