Hector Arana Sr. looking for good runs at Reading

Past champion Arana Sr. voices concerns over Maple Grove Raceway

Hector Arana Sr.

Photo by: Glenn F. Katauskas

READING, Pa. (Sept. 29) – When Lucas Oil Buell rider Hector Arana Sr. speaks, people usually listen. The 2009 Pro Stock Motorcycle champion is one of the most respected members of the sport after making his living in NHRA for more than two decades.

So when Arana Sr. talks about this weekend's Auto-Select NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, he hopes the right people are listening.

"I don't know if they fixed Reading or not," Arana Sr. said. "There's a bad bump right at the finish line. Because of that, no, I don't like it. The bike really gets air, and it's dangerous."

Yes, he's concerned over his own safety, but Arana Sr. is also worried about other riders in the class who may not have as much experience, including his son, Hector Arana Sr.

"The track owners and NHRA have known about it for a long time, and yet it's not been corrected," Arana Sr. said. "Last year, the rumor was the whole track was going to get re-done. Mid-season, we heard it was only half of the track done.

"My concern was the finish line. Mainly, it's for my son and for the people with less experience. If they look at history, there have been a lot of motorcycles that have gotten into problems there because of that."

And with riders expected to go after national records at Reading, motorcycles will be approaching 195 mph at the end of the quarter-mile.

"I'm hoping they address that and take care of it," Arana Sr. said.

Arana Sr. won't be gunning for his own national elapsed-time record of 6.777 seconds set in Gainesville, Fla., earlier this year. A recent spate of mysterious problems has plagued Arana Sr., his new bike and his new engine, "Forrest." He's simply hoping to get down the track without any issues.

"I just want to make eight good runs, and that's it," Arana Sr. said. "I'm not worrying about records or anything. That's all I need."