DENVER – Drag racing in Denver is a challenge on many levels, as No. 2 qualifier Hector Arana Jr. found out Sunday after a second-round exit at the 38th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.

“This mountain over here is tricky,” Arana said. “Every time I got on the gas the bike was wanting to creep so it was throwing me off on my lights a little bit. I was worrying too much about rolling the beams and not putting 100 percent of my concentration into cutting good lights.”

Despite running quicker than his opponent, reigning world champion Jerry Savoie, Arana couldn’t capitalize on the occasion having left the starting line .018 seconds after Savoie. That translated to a holeshot loss for the rider of the Lucas Oil Racing TV Buell, as Arana’s 7.185 at 186.38 mph was edged by Savoie’s 7.192 at 184.72 mph.

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DENVER – Hector Arana Jr. has lived up to his prerace declarations that he was going to be a top contender at this weekend’s 38th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, qualifying just one-thousandth of a second off the pole at Bandimere Speedway with a stout 7.179-second quarter-mile clocking at 186.28 mph.

Arana did all he could on his Lucas Oil Racing TV Buell to best leader Eddie’s Krawiec’s previously-posted 7.178 in the final of three time trials Saturday evening, but ultimately missed the mark by
an eyelash.

“We’re really excited,” Arana said. “If it hadn’t rained and we could have made both runs yesterday or even if they had added a make-up round earlier today we would have run even better yet. We’ll take being second for now. I’d much rather be No. 1 on race day than in qualifying.

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DENVER – In the span of just three races, Lucas Oil Racing TV rider Hector Arana Jr. has jumped from a distant ninth place in the Pro Stock Motorcycle rankings to a lofty third, just two rounds out of second. Runner-up finishes in Englishtown, N.J., and Chicago, coupled with a semifinal result in Norwalk, Ohio, have done the trick for the 11-time national event winner, and also made him very optimistic about this weekend.

“I’ve felt like I’m on the verge of winning since E-town,” Arana Jr. said. “My riding was down for a few races but now that we’re leaning on Jim (Yates, crew chief) more and more I’ve been able to focus on being a better rider. That comes with having confidence in the bike and I definitely have that now. My next win should be this weekend.”

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CHICAGO – Hector Arana Jr. remains red-hot on his Lucas Oil Racing TV Buell, powering to yet another runner-up finish Sunday at the 20th annual Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Ill. Only one rider has been better than Arana lately, LE Tonglet, who managed to edge him in the final for his fourth victory in six races this year.

“Not bad at all,” Arana said. “You have to hand it to LE, he’s been nearly perfect, but we are definitely right there. I really wish we could have brought the win home today for my dad but we gave it our best.”

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CHICAGO – Lucas Oil Racing TV Buell rider Hector Arana Jr. zoomed to a Route 66 Raceway track speed record of 197.33 mph during a 6.811-second quarter-mile pass Saturday to lock up the No. 2 starting position at the 20th annual Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals.

Arana held the top position in Pro Stock Motorcycle after the third qualifying session when he went 6.823 at 196.96 mph, but he was edged out by LE Tonglet in the final round. Nevertheless, he equaled his best qualifying effort of the season.

“We are really excited to be running so well,” Arana Jr. said. “I miss my father (teammate Hector Arana Sr.) being out here. He had to stay home to recover from the shoulder surgery he had a few weeks back but even though he’s at home he was still able to help the team out. He’s got little treasures hidden in the trailer and he was able to tell us where to find one of them and we put it in the bike and she woke up.

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CHICAGO – As the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series pulls into Route 66 Raceway for this weekend’s 20th annual Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals just outside of Chicago, Hector Arana Jr., rider of the Lucas Oil Racing TV Buell, is poised to pick up his first victory of 2017 at a track that has been great to him over the years.

Arana, a 28-year-old resident of East Northport, N.Y., claimed back-to-back wins at the record-breaking Route 66 track in 2014 and 2015. One of drag racing’s brightest young stars, Arana is hoping to visit the familiar winner’s circle again this Sunday.

“Chicago is one of my favorite races,” Arana said. “Obviously, I’ve won the event twice. Route 66 Raceway is known for having a great surface and a really good bite so we usually make some good 60-foot times there. It’s always been a great place for me and we always do well there. I’m excited to be going back. It would be great to get my first Wally (trophy) of the year at Route 66.”

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NORWALK, OH – After finishing as runner-up at the last Pro Stock Motorcycle tour stop in Englishtown, N.J., Hector Arana Jr. was hoping to take his Lucas Oil Racing TV Buell one step further at this weekend’s 11th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

Instead, he ended his day in the semifinals, a respectable result that lifted him to within 11 points of a top-three perch in the Mello Yello championship points.

“Not a bad race at all,” Arana said. “We’re going rounds, we’re running fast, the bike is very consistent and we’re right there where we want to be in relation to the field. We need to keep working hard and find that little bit extra and we’ll be up there challenging for the top spot.”

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NORWALK, OH – With his father and teammate sidelined with a shoulder injury, Hector Arana Jr. is the lone man carrying the Lucas Oil banner this weekend at the 11th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Proving he’s up for the task, Arana Jr. positioned his Lucas Oil Racing TV Buell a lofty third on the starting grid with a quick qualifying pass of 6.886 at 194.63 mph.

“We are right there with the top bikes and we know what to do on race day,” Arana Jr. said. “We were experimenting a little bit today, trying to get everything prepared and ready, not only for tomorrow but also looking ahead for the Countdown. We know what we want to do for tomorrow. We will definitely give it our best and see how it all pans out.”

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NORWALK, OH – Lucas Oil Racing TV Buell rider Hector Arana Jr. enters this weekend’s 11th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals riding a surge of momentum he hasn’t enjoyed for some time, but he’s also riding “solo” for the first time in his seven-year professional career.

At the previous NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event held for the motorcycle class in Englishtown, N.J., Arana Jr., a 28-year-old resident of East Northport, N.Y., raced to the final round before settling for runner-up honors. It was his first appearance in a money round of the season and first since Indianapolis last August.

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NORWALK, OH – Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Hector Arana Sr. of the powerful Lucas Oil race team underwent major shoulder surgery Tuesday and will miss at least three months of competition.

Traveling from the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series race in Englishtown, N.J., two weeks ago, Arana Sr.’s race trailer had a tire blowout near Hersey, Penn. While trying to change the tire, Arana Sr., a native of Miami, suffered a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder.

Arana Sr. expects to be out of NHRA competition for at least three months, but the longtime Lucas Oil racing ambassador will still be visible at the races as he shifts his focus to helping son Hector Arana Jr., rider of the Lucas Oil Racing TV Buell. The younger Arana is riding a performance surge, which most recently featured a trip to the final round in Englishtown.

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