PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE CLASS KICKS OFF COMPETITIVE 2015 SEASON AT AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Eddie Krawiec liked the position he and teammate Andrew Hines were in a year ago in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Hines won his fourth NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series in 2014 and Krawiec finished right behind in second.

For that to be repeated, Krawiec knows he and his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammate will have to perform at a high level, possibly even greater than last year.

A massive 23 entries will compete at this weekend’s 46th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, which serves as the site for the first of 16 races for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class in 2015. Krawiec is after a good start to kick off the new season and he is also well aware of how challenging it will be to maintain last year’s impressive pace.

“It’s great having the ‘1’ and ‘2’ on both bikes,” Krawiec said. “It’s only the second time we’ve done that and it’s a good thing. We’re going to do the best we can and see if we can defend our position. If you have a chance in Pomona, you know you’ve had a good season.”

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Steve Johnson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the tradition-rich event that will once again be televised on ESPN2

The Pro Stock Motorcycle class looks to be as competitive as ever with former world champions and top riders making up a star-studded field at Gainesville. Along with Hines and Krawiec, past champions include 2013 champion Matt Smith, L.E. Tonglet, Hector Arana and three-time world champ Angelle Sampey, who holds the most career NHRA wins by a female. Sampey returned on a Star Racing Buell late last year after a lengthy absence and represents one of the major storylines for the class in 2015.

Other standouts include Angie Smith, who won her first career PSM race a year ago, Hector Arana Jr., as well as defending race winner Johnson. That victory marked a major high point for Johnson, who has his own high hopes for his Steve Johnson Racing Suzuki entering 2015.

“When this is your career, you cherish winning a race,” Johnson said. “I took that trophy wherever I went for a long time so it meant a lot. I’m excited to go racing again. We’ve got some new pistons and hopefully the new configuration will be exactly what we need. I’m sure the Suzukis are going to do a good job this year and I think that will make it more exciting. We’re not really worried about championships right now. We just want to win races.”

Everybody is chasing Hines and Krawiec, though, after they combined for 11 wins in 2015, with six coming from eventual champion Hines. That led to changes for the Arana team, as Hector Arana and Hector Arana Jr. both plan to debut new body styles for their Lucas Oil Products Buell and Lucas Oil Buell, respectively. The bikes are still unproven, but Arana thinks the potential is there.

“We are pumped,” Arana said. “We worked hard over the off-season, and we’ve got a new body style that we’re coming out with. We’re anxious to see what it’s going to do for us, whether it’s a performance advantage. We have all those questions that haven’t been answered. The old bike is something we know can make good runs. We have a lot of questions. We have a lot of things happening.”

It was also a productive off-season for Krawiec, as his team continued to refine a bike that was incredibly consistent for all of 2014. Just starting the season has him excited but there’s always added incentive when the first race comes at a track with so much history.

“Gainesville has always been a good race to kick off the season for the bikes,” Krawiec said. “It has great fan support and it’s one of those races you always want to win. It’s always good to kick off the season with some momentum, especially since we’re racing again in Charlotte in a couple weeks.”

In Top Fuel, Doug Kalitta defeated Antron Brown in a thrilling final last season to claim his second Gatornationals victory. Kalitta is looking for a repeat performance in Gainesville but will face stiff competition from the likes of reigning world champ and most recent event winner Tony Schumacher, Winternationals winner Shawn Langdon, Spencer Massey, 2014 rookie of the year Richie Crampton, three-time world champ Larry Dixon, Amalie Motor Oil fan-favorite Terry McMillen, category newcomer Dave Connolly, J.R. Todd, Steve Torrence and Brittany Force.

Robert Hight was the hero of Funny Car at Gainesville in 2014 defeating team owner John Force in the final. Courtney Force will try to become the first female Funny Car winner at the Gatornationals, but reigning world champ Matt Hagan has been red hot, winning the first two events of the year at the controls of his Mopar/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T. Ron Capps, Tommy Johnson Jr., Del Worsham, three-time national event winner Alexis DeJoria and two-time world champ Cruz Pedregon are expected to be competitive in Gainesville as well.

Allen Johnson, the 2012 Pro Stock world champ, got the best of eventual world champ Erica Enders-Stevens in the final at Gainesville last season. Enders-Stevens is looking for her first Gainesville victory while other top challengers include Winternationals winner and four-time Gatornationals winner Jason Line, Shane Gray, Greg Anderson, Vincent Nobile, Roger Brogdon, who won the most recent event in Phoenix, rookie Drew Skillman, Chris McGaha and Jonathan Gray.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful motorsports attraction on the planet. While visiting the pits, interactive NHRA Nitro Alley and the NHRA Manufacturers Midway, fans will also want to check out NHRA’s popular Hot Rod Junction presented by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum that offers a spectacular display of many nostalgic dragsters, race cars and hot rods on display, including vintage machines that were driven by ‘Big Daddy’ Don Garlits, K.S. Pittman, Big John Mazmanian and Bruce Larson, among others. There will also be several NHRA Legends of Drag Racing autograph sessions, allowing fans the rare opportunity to meet drag racing stars of the past.

Pro qualifying begins on Friday, March 13, with sessions at 12:45 and 3:45 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, March 14, also at noon and 3 p.m. Final eliminations will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 15.

The 2015 AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series as serve as the season-opener in the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, log on to www.NHRA.com/tickets or call the NHRA Ticket Sales Center, (800) 884-NHRA (6472). General admission tickets for children 12 and younger are free with any paid adult ticket. Fans can save by purchasing their tickets in advance. For more information about NHRA, log on to www.NHRA.com.

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AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS FACT SHEET

WHAT: 46th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, the third of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Drivers in four categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle – earn points leading to 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships.

WHERE: Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, Gainesville, Fla. The track is located on 11211 North County Road 225 in Gainesville.

WHEN: Thursday through Sunday, March 12-15

SCHEDULE:

THURSDAY, March 12 – LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying

FRIDAY, March 13 – LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations

PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES qualifying at Noon and 3 p.m.

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 12:45 and 3:45 p.m.

SATURDAY, March 14 – LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations

PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES qualifying at 2 p.m.; Round 1 of eliminations at 5 p.m.

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at noon and 3 p.m.

SUNDAY, March 15 – Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.

MELLO YELLO SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:

Sunday, March 15, ESPN2 will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 1:30 a.m. (ET).

Sunday, March 15, ESPN2 will re-air two hours of qualifying coverage at 7 a.m. (ET).

Sunday, March 15, ESPN2 will televise two hours of eliminations coverage at 7 p.m. (ET).

SATELLITE (Digital HD feed):

Saturday, March 14, 6:30 – 7 p.m. (ET), AMC 1 / Transponder 24C

Sunday, March 15, 6:30 – 7 p.m. (ET), AMC 1 / Transponder 24C

(4180 MHz, vertical; Data Rate: 40.46147055 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 29.27 Ms; FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 36 Mhz)

Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners’ interviews on Sunday.

2014 EVENT WINNERS: Doug Kalitta, Top Fuel; Robert Hight, Funny Car; Allen Johnson, Pro Stock; Steve Johnson, Pro Stock Motorcycle.

MOST VICTORIES: Warren Johnson, 9, PS; John Force, 7, FC; Don Prudhomme, 5, FC; Joe Amato, 4, TF; Kenny Bernstein, 4, FC/TF; Larry Dixon, 4, TF; Don Garlits, 4, TF; Jason Line, 4, PS; Ed McCulloch, 4, FC; Tony Schumacher, 4, TF; Dave Schultz, 4, PSM; Terry Vance, 4, PSM.

TRACK RECORDS:

Top Fuel – 3.743 sec. and 326.87 mph by Morgan Lucas, March ’12.

Funny Car – 4.026 seconds by Cruz Pedregon, March ’12; 317.12 mph by Robert Hight, March ’12.

Pro Stock – 6.473 seconds by Mike Edwards, March ’12; 214.31 mph by Edwards, March ’13.

PS Motorcycle – 6.750 seconds by Eddie Krawiec, March ’12; 199.26 mph by Krawiec, March ’11.

NATIONAL RECORDS:

Top Fuel – 3.701 sec. by Antron Brown, Oct. ‘12, Reading, Pa.; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April ’12, Charlotte, N.C.

Funny Car – 3.965 sec. and 324.12 mph by John Force, Feb. ’14, Pomona, Calif.

Pro Stock – 6.464 sec. and 215.55 mph by Erica Enders-Stevens, May ‘14, Englishtown N.J.

PS Motorcycle – 6.728 sec. by Andrew Hines, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.; 199.26 mph by Eddie Krawiec, March ’11, Gainesville, Fla.

TICKETS: For tickets call (800) 884-NHRA (6472). Tickets also available online at www.NHRA.com/tickets.

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NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS

GLENDORA, Calif. — Point standings (top 10) following the second of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series –

Top Fuel: 1. Shawn Langdon, 200; 2. Antron Brown, 167; 3. Tony Schumacher, 165; 4. Doug Kalitta, 155; 5. Spencer Massey, 130; 6. Richie Crampton, 115; 7. Larry Dixon, 106; 8. (tie) J.R. Todd, 88; Steve Torrence, 88; 10. Brittany Force, 85.

Funny Car: 1. Matt Hagan, 231; 2. Del Worsham, 173; 3. Robert Hight, 145; 4. Ron Capps, 129; 5. Courtney Force, 123; 6. Tommy Johnson Jr., 118; 7. Alexis DeJoria, 110; 8. Cruz Pedregon, 93; 9. (tie) John Hale, 82; Chad Head, 82.

Pro Stock: 1. Rodger Brogdon, 205; 2. Erica Enders-Stevens, 184; 3. Jason Line, 178; 4. Drew Skillman, 177; 5. Chris McGaha, 130; 6. Shane Gray, 108; 7. Allen Johnson, 107; 8. Larry Morgan, 89; 9. Greg Anderson, 86; 10. Vincent Nobile, 66.