Arana’s looking for strong finish to 2015 Season

Lucas Oil’s Hector Arana Sr. wants another win to cap solid 2015

POMONA, CA – Lucas Oil Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Hector Arana Sr. is ready to bring down the curtain on the 2015 season this weekend at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Or is he?

“It’s sweet and sour,” Arana said. “I’m glad, in a way, for it to be over so we can regroup, go back, and find more horsepower so we can start all over again, but of course I want to continue racing because I love this sport, I love when I go to the track.

“But I do want some time off so I can be able to relax a little bit.”

Arana is eighth in the points standings, but he could finish sixth if things go well in Pomona. He hopes they do, as he would love to close out 2015 with his second victory of the year.

“It would pump me up again so I can keep going,” Arana said. “You work, you work, you work, and when you have a run like in Atlanta, all it does is charge you back up. It gives you that energy, and it pays off all the hard work. Now, you’re back at it.

“It’s like a drug: The more we do it, the more we want it.”

Arana’s win in Atlanta ended a losing streak that dated back to 2009, the year he won the Pro Stock Motorcycle championship. He raced to the final at this race in 2010, and he watched son Hector Jr. win here last November.

“It was great that Hector had a chance to win here last year,” Arana said. “I’ve been in the final here, and if I could just win were, that would be great. I really want to win another race this year. That would give me everything I need to carry on for next year.”

Lucas Oil rider Hector Arana Jr. hopes to make it two wins in a row in Pomona

– Lucas Oil Buell Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Hector Arana Jr. likes the way “defending race champion” sounds, and he’d love to make it two in a row at the Auto Club NHRA Finals this weekend at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

“That sounds great,” Arana said. “I hope I can obtain that title again and keep it for next year. I don’t want to let it go.”

The victory was his first at the historic track, and it helped him finish third in the points standings. It also made for a pleasant off-season for Arana and his team.

“It’s the last race of the year, and when you win the last race of the year, the whole off-season everybody remembers who won the last race,” Arana said. “You’re that winner. I was the winner all the way until March. When the races are back to back, you’re only the winner for a week, and then it’s on the next guy.

“It gives everyone motivation and good momentum for the off-season to move forward and to work hard.”

Last year’s Pomona victory was also memorable because it came in the race that closed younger brother Adam’s full-time racing career. Adam joined the United States Coast Guard in January, though he was able to race in St. Louis in September.

“That was my brother’s last time racing a full season with us, and I was able to get the win,” Arana said. “I don’t know how, but Adam did a little cameo race in St. Louis, and I was able to get a win there, too. Maybe I’ll have to have him come to this race.”

Pomona closes the 2015 season, one that has been a mixed bag for Arana. He has won two races and has two No. 1 qualifiers, but he’s also had some missteps along the way.

“I’m happy and I’m sad,” Arana said. “I’m happy because I feel like going testing and starting to work on next year. We fell off a little bit, and Jerry Savoie really stepped up his game and showed everybody that we need to step up our game. There’s a lot of things we want to test this off-season and a lot of stuff we want to get going, so we’re looking forward to that.

“I just got a house, so it’ll be nice to have a little time to finally get all the way settled in. To be able to get all that finished will be nice. We’ll take a little break and get ready to have a very successful 2016.”