Arana Sr. needs qualifying success to carry over to race day
PHOENIX – Lucas Oil rider Hector Arana Sr. gets a smile on his face when he thinks about racing at a new track for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class.
That's what will take place for the category this weekend when they race the 27th annual Arizona NHRA Nationals at Firebird International Raceway.
"It's exciting," Arana Sr. said. "I haven't been to Firebird, and I'm looking forward to seeing the crowds we get there."
To give owners a chance to resurface the track, Phoenix's race date was moved from the spring to the fall, making it a part of the Countdown to the Championship. The switch gives Pro Stock Motorcycle riders their first ever crack at the track.
"Phoenix is going to be totally new to us," Arana Sr. said. "I'm looking forward to it, because it's a new place we haven't been. I don't know what to expect. I don't know what to do. We're going to have to pay attention to the weather conditions so we can have an idea of what it's going to take to run there."
Arana Sr. and his Lucas Oil team will have to become part-time meteorologists when preparing for a new track like Phoenix. They'll look at other tracks they've visited with similar weather and atmospheric conditions and work on a tune-up for the Lucas Oil Buell from there.
"I'd like to see the trends of what's going on with the temperatures," Arana Sr. said. "That way we can look at other races and see if there are similar conditions, weather-wise. Then we can be close to what we need to be. After that, you just have to run it."
Arana Sr. currently sits ninth in the standings. Mysterious electrical problems have plagued the team over the last three races, coinciding with the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Even during his struggle, Arana Sr. has been fast in qualifying and hopes that can translate to a good race in Phoenix.
"We've seen what the bike can do in qualifying," Arana Sr. said. "I just want to be able to show that in the race, too."
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