Arana Sr. could not believe his luck in Texas

ENNIS, Texas - Lucas Oil Buell rider Hector Arana Sr. could not believe his luck.

With an excellent chance to win the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals, Arana Sr. had high hopes Sunday at Texas Motorplex. But before his race could begin, his Pro Stock Motorcycle wouldn't. Arana's Buell would not fire in his first-round matchup with Redell Harris, giving Harris his first round victory of the season.

Hector Arana Sr.

Photo by: Ted Rossino

Arana Sr. had qualified second and was one of the favorites to go rounds and win the race. But despite repeated attempts to fire the Lucas Oil bike, it wouldn't turn over.

"It wouldn't start," Arana Sr. said. "Simple as that."

The 2009 class champion said the motorcycle fired easily Sunday morning before eliminations and was running fine.

"We warmed it up, and everything sounded great," Arana Sr. said. "It was purring like a kitten. It sounded awesome. That was it, and we got everything else ready to go to the starting line."

After realizing his bike wouldn't make the first-round call, Arana Sr. threw his hands in the air in frustration as he walked away from the starting line.

"I don't know what to say because it's really frustrating," Arana Sr. said. "The simple things can sometimes cause a problem."

He did not diagnose the problem immediately, preferring to turn his focus to son Hector Arana Jr.'s bike.

"I didn't look at the bike," Arana Sr. said. "My son was still in it, so I packed it away so I didn't have to see it."

Arana Sr. will be fifth in the Pro Stock Motorcycle points standings with four races remaining in 2012. The next races is the AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Ill., next weekend.

"We're still there," Arana Sr. said. "We can't keep making mistakes. We can't keep having this electrical problem or whatever it is. Otherwise, it's over."

Source: Lucas Oil Buell