Arana Jr. takes provisional No. 1 spot at final NHRA race of 2014

POMONA, CA – Lucas Oil Buell rider Hector Arana Jr. made all the right calls Friday, jumping up to the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot for the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway.

Arana Jr. was second after one qualifying session, but improved to a pass of 6.832 seconds at 197.62 mph in Q2 to take the No. 1 spot.

“I knew as soon as I popped the clutch that it was going to be a good pass,” Arana Jr. said. “I could tell by how smooth the bike felt and how well it accelerated. I just hoped my 60-foot (time) was better, and I knew if my 60-foot was better, it would correlate to a better ET.”

Arana Jr. sits fourth in the Pro Stock Motorcycle points standings heading into the final race of the year, and he’s looking for his second victory and third No. 1 qualifier to finish the year on an upswing.

They key to getting it done this weekend, he says, will be staying consistent.

“We were more consistent in those first two runs, and we were able to jump back to the top of the field.” Arana Jr. said. “Qualifying’s not over until the end of the day Saturday. There are still very fast bikes out there that can still nab No 1 from me. We’re going to work hard and try to go faster, but most importantly, stay consistent.”

Arana Jr. hopes to find more speed out of his Buell, as the hunt for a quicker elapsed time can be elusive. But he knows there are improvements to be made.

“There are lots of things you can do,” Arana Jr. said. “Focusing and paying attention to your clutch program, your fuel program and analyzing all that and not overlooking anything.

“I think I know what I’m going to do. But we’re always guessing. Nobody ever knows for sure, and that’s one of the great things about drag racing.”

While Arana Jr. would love to hang on to the No. 1 qualifier, what he really wants is a win in the NHRA season-finale.

“I want to get another win before the year is over,” Arana Jr. said. “I think it will definitely be a good confidence-booster for our team and a nice way to end the year.”