Posts Tagged ‘Harley-Davidson’
Krawiec And Hines Take Harley To Semi-Finals At Dallas
Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines rider Ed Krawiec leads the Pro Stock Motorcycle points standings after advancing to the semi-final round of eliminations at the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex, the second event in the six-race Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Krawiec has an 11-point lead over his teammate, Andrew Hines, who also advanced to the semi-finals at theTexas event. Michael Ray defeated Karen Stoffer in the final, the first of the season not to feature at least one of the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle riders, as the team’s winning streak came to end after 13 consecutive NHRA events dating back to 2011.
“It’s been almost a calendar year since there wasn’t a Harley-Davidson® V-Rod® rider on the winner’s podium,” said Hines. “We can look back on this streak with pride. We may never do it again, but it’s a string of success we will always remember.”
Krawiec (6.887 seconds) and Hines (6.892 seconds), racing Harley-Davidson® V-Rod® motorcycles finished in dazzling metalflake Hard Candy paint, qualified third and fourth, respectively, for the event. Lucas Oil Buell rider Hector Arana Jr. paced all qualifiers with an Elapsed Time of 6.852 seconds.
Hines defeated the Steve Johnson Suzuki and MB Precision/LAT Racing Oil Buell rider Mike Berry in the first two rounds of Sunday eliminations before losing to Ray on the Viper Motorcycle Company Buell in the third round.
Krawiec got wins over PiranaZ Racing Buell rider Shawn Gann and ZLOOP Suzuki rider LE Tonglet in the first two rounds, and then lost to Geico Suzuki rider Stoffer on a holeshot in the third round.
“Both of our V-Rods really fell off in performance between the second and third rounds,” said Krawiec. “We’ve had that happen at this track in the past, as the temperature goes up and the track surface starts to get a little greasy. I’m not sure why. We knew the win streak would end eventually. It’s more important that we gained points on our two closest rivals in the Countdown.”
As a result of bonus points earned during qualifying, Krawiec gained a single point on Hines over the weekend, and is now up by 11 with 2295 points. Hines is second with 2284 points. Hector Arana Jr., who lost on a red light in the second round at Texas, is third with 2216 points and drops from 64 to 79 points behind Krawiec. Ray, who won the first National event of his career atTexas, jumps to fourth place with 2187 points. Lucas Oil Buell rider Hector Arana Sr., who broke at the starting line in the first round, drops to fifth place with 2185 points. Stoffer is sixth with 2175 points.
The Pro Stock Motorcycles will be back in action September 28-30 at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Ill.
Barnes Wins AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Race at Homestead-Miami
KLR Group/Spyke’s Harley-Davidson rider Michael Barnes won his second AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 series race of the season Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, a day after his teammate Kyle Wyman’s season come to a disappointing end after a qualifying crash.
Barnes battled polesitter Tyler O’Hara (Bartels’ H-D/Scrubblade) and Travis Wyman (Harv’s Harley-Davidson), who rounded out the podium spots, along with Suburban Motors H-D’s Benjamin Carlson and MOB Racing’s Jake Holden throughout the 11-lap contest. After leading the third and fourth laps of the race, Barnes fell back to third behind O’Hara and Wyman, who traded the lead for the next several laps. But on lap ten, Barnes picked off Wyman for second, setting up a decisive move for the lead and eventual win on the final lap, when he passed O’Hara on the back straight. With yellow flags out for a crashed rider on the last lap, Barnes was able to hold that lead through the final few corners and fend off O’Hara’s late draft-pass attempt at the start/finish line by 0.132 second.
“It’s been a real emotional rollercoaster weekend with Kyle getting hurt yesterday,” Barnes said. “It affected the whole team but it made us dig that much deeper, and I know Travis was digging deeper for his brother out there too. He was riding hard. It was hard to out-brake him, but I needed to get by Travis in order to get by Tyler. I dug deep for that one.”
On Saturday, XR Showdown contender Kyle Wyman (KLR Group/ Spyke’s Harley-Davidson) high-sided in damp track conditions during qualifying and was air-lifted to a local hospital for observation. Wyman was released later that evening and returned to the track to root for his teammate Barnes on Sunday, but decided to call an end to his season to recuperate after several hard crashes in recent races.
With Wyman out of contention, the fight for the XR Showdown title will likely come down to a battle between Barnes, O’Hara, and Carlson, who are separated by eight points with one race remaining in the series.
The AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 series concludes October 6-7 at NOLA MotorsportsPark in New Orleans, La.
Homestead-Miami Race Result:
1. Michael Barnes (KLR Group/Spyke’s H-D), 11 laps
2. Tyler O’Hara (Bartels’ H-D/Scrubblade), +0.132 second
3. Travis Wyman (Harv’s H-D), +0.515 second
4. Benjamin Carlson (Suburban Motors H-D), +1.843 seconds
5. Michael Corbino (XP Motorsports/Rossiter’s H-D), +14.014 seconds
6. Shane Narbonne (MOB Racing/Teterboro Rams LLC), +25.216 seconds
7. David Estok (Ruthless Racing/Deeley H-D Racing), +32.734 seconds
8. Barrett Long (Longevity Racing), +53.345
9. Josh Chisum (Bartels’ H-D/Scrubblade), +53.350 seconds
10. Eric Haugo (MOB Racing/Teterboro Rams LLC), +1:20.960
11. Jake Holden (MOB Racing/Teterboro Rams LLC), 10 laps, mechanical
12. Ray Delaney (Fury Offshore Racing Team), +1:26.767
13. Gerry Signorelli (Kuryakyn), +39.124 seconds, 9 laps
14. Kyle Wyman (KLR Group/Spyke’s H-D), DNS
XR1200 Showdown Points Standings
1. Michael Barnes, 1,090
2. Tyler O’Hara, 1,088
3. Benjamin Carlson, 1,082
4. Michael Corbino, 1,064
5. Kyle Wyman, 1,062
6. Travis Wyman, 1,062
7. David Estok, 1,049
8. Josh Chisum, 1,042
9. Gerry Signorelli, 1,018
10. Darren James, 1,000
Harley NHRA Team Debuts Hard Candy Custom At Indy
The Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines drag racing team will bring extra style to the starting line at the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend when riders Andrew Hines and Ed Krawiec debut Harley-Davidson® V-Rod® Pro Stock motorcycles with Hard Candy Custom™ paint schemes.
Just launched for the 2013 motorcycle model year, the Hard Candy Custom movement embraces a trend that’s reemerged from garages around the globe; dazzling metal flake paint, brilliant chrome, and styling details in accessories, gear and apparel that are simultaneously current and nostalgic. Hard Candy Custom elements include the “big flake” paint finishes that will adorn the Screamin’ Eagle V-Rod drag bikes at the U.S. Nationals; Hard Candy Lucky Green Flake will appear on the bike raced by Hines through the end of the 2012 season, while Krawiec will race at Indy on a V-Rod sprayed with Hard Candy Purple Flake. During the month of October, Krawiec will display the team’s support of breast cancer awareness month by racing in a special Hard Candy Pink Flake color. Krawiec will then close out the season on a bike painted with Hard Candy Purple Flake paint.
“Hard Candy Custom is old-school cool,” said Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Kris Schoonover. “Fans who have been following the NHRA for a long time might even remember when colors like these with the sparkle of metal flake were first popular in the early 1970s. It’s a look that young customizers have rediscovered, and it’s going to be fun to take a break from our traditional black, silver and orange for awhile and race in these dramatic colors that we have just introduced on some of our new motorcycles.”
The Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines team arrives at Indy leading the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle division, with Krawiec and Hines first and second in points respectively. The team is undefeated in nine events in 2012, and has a winning streak of 11 races dating back to 2011. Krawiec, the defending Pro Stock Motorcycle champion, has won in the finals six times, including the last three events in a row. Hines has won three times, but the team is looking for its first win at Indy since 1999.
The 58th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals take place Aug. 29 – Sept. 3 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Ind.
Conversion Fender Spacers
If you want to retain your stock Narrow-Glide fender you will need to order the chrome fender spacer kit. Made by Custom Cycle Engineering, these kits fit early and late 35mm Mid-Glide and Wide-Glide Conversion Kits, 39mm Mid-Glide and Wide-Glide Conversion kits, 41mm Mid-Glide Conversion kits & 49mm Wide-Glide Kits. Spacers are made from billet aluminum and are chrome plated. Stainless steel hardware is included for a neat and clean final assembly.
You can get this and many more great accessories from Custom Cycle Engineering by visiting their website. Just click on the ad below. Custom Cycle Engineering will also ship their catalog to you for free. What do you have to lose?
Sturgis Buffalo Chip Partners With Red Bull For The Sturgis Rally
The Sturgis Buffalo Chip® is proud to announce they have entered into a partnership with one of the most influential brands in the world, Red Bull. The partnership will see Red Bull Energy Drink as a sponsor of the Buffalo Chip’s® Largest Music Festival in Motorcycling™ that takes place over 9 straight days, featuring the biggest names in music during the famed Sturgis Motorcycle Rally August 3 – 12, 2012. Passes are available for the legendary Sturgis Buffalo Chip® camp resort and music festival at www.BuffaloChip.com.
“Red Bull is on the cutting edge and the Buffalo Chip is right there with them.” states Rod Woodruff, president of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip. “The Chip thrives on an exciting consumer experience and this partnership will only add to that momentum. We are very excited to include Red Bull in the Buffalo Chip family.”
The Sturgis Buffalo Chip® is set on 580 pristine acres and offers premier camping amenities including hot showers, swimming beach and a diverse selection of food and beverage as well as cabin and RV rentals. With hundreds of performances on 5 stages, The Chip is known as The Best Party Anywhere™. The Largest Music Festival in Motorcycling™ will once again take place at the Buffalo Chip with a growing list of world class bands including Eric Church, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Zac Brown Band, Journey, Candlebox, Sugarland, Boston, Buckcherry, Saving Abel, Finding Clyde, Loverboy, Adelitas Way and many more set to take over the Wolfman Jack Main Stage in the Buffalo Chip’s famous natural amphitheater.
In addition to world-class concerts from some of the biggest names in music, campers and rally goers will enjoy a near endless list of attractions and activities such as zip lines, world record motorcycle stunt attempts, art exhibitions, the Field of Flags Experience, the world’s largest V-twin motor sculpture, roller derby bouts, professional wrestling, the new Sturgis Rider Cafe and the free to the public CrossRoads development.
The Sturgis Buffalo Chip’s annual celebration of music, motorcycles, freedom and camaraderie is slated for August 3-12 as the major destination for those attending the 2012 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. For more information on The Largest Music Festival in Motorcycling™, click on www.BuffaloChip.com or call (605) 347-9000.
Krawiec Earns A Hometown Win At Englishtown
Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines rider Ed Krawiec rode a Harley-Davidson® V-Rod® motorcycle to an emotional Pro Stock Motorcycle class win at the 43rd annual Toyota NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. A native of the area and the former manager of the racetrack, Krawiec had never scored a Pro Stock win at the venerable New Jersey drag strip.
“This is the biggest win of my career,” said Krawiec, the reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion. “This is my home track. I’ve got hundreds, or maybe thousands of family, friends and supporters here watching. I lost here in the finals in 2009 and the team has not won here since 2004, and I was afraid I’d never get another chance, so this is really sweet.”
Krawiec has won three of four events in 2012, and the Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines team is undefeated on the season, as Screamin’ Eagle rider Andrew Hines got a win the one time Krawiec did not make the final.
As if he needed icing on the cake, Krawiec also twice set a new Elapsed Time track record in Friday qualifying, running a 6.794-second Elapsed Time in the first round and besting that mark with a 6.782-second blast in the second round. Hines qualified the team’s other Harley-Davidson V-Rod in sixth position at 6.874 seconds.
In Sunday eliminations, Hines beat Geico Suzuki rider Karen Stoffer in the first round, and then lost to Lucas Oil Buell rider Hector Arana Jr. in round two, running 6.934 seconds to 6.858 for Arana Jr.
“Something happened to my bike in the second round of qualifying, and we were never able to get the performance back,” said Hines. “It stopped responding to changes in the tune-up, so we’ll tear it down when we get back to the shop and see what happened.”
Krawiec opened eliminations with a free pass when Joe DeSatis fouled at the start on his Suzuki. Krawiec then bumped off two former class world champions, beating Matt Smith Racing Buell rider Matt Smith in round two and advancing in round three when GT Racing Suzuki rider LE Tonglet fouled. That set up a final-round match with Lucas Oil Buell rider Hector Arana Sr., the number-two qualifier who had one of the quickest bikes in the field on Sunday but who also had a series of late reaction times at the start that resulted in very close wins. In the final, however, Arana left 0.052 seconds early to hand Krawiec the 14th win of his career.
“The weather changed a little today and we lost some of our tune-up, while the Aranas seemed to really get a handle on their tune-up” said Krawiec. “When you don’t have the quickest bike, it’s time to be a good rider and not make mistakes. When I lost the final here to Craig Treble I thought I had a better bike and held back at the start. I was not going to let that happen again.”
With three wins in four events, Krawiec now has 466 points and a 141-point lead in the 2012 Pro Stock Motorcycle standings. Hines remains in second place with 325 points. Arana Jr., who lost to his father in the semi-finals, is third with 301 points, followed by Hector Arana Sr. with 293 points and GottSpeed Racing Buell rider Michael Ray with 235 points.
The Pro Stock Motorcycles will next race on June 28 – July 1 at the 15th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill.
Camping California: On Two Wheels – Solvang, CA
Barnes Wins AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Race at Infineon
Veteran Racer Takes First AMA Pro Win Since 1996
Veteran racer Michael Barnes, one of the longest tenured riders in the AMA Pro Road Racing paddock, earned an emotional and hard-fought victory in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 series race at Infineon Raceway Sunday to break a 16-year victory drought.
Barnes doggedly pursued his Bartels’ Harley-Davidson/Scrubblade teammate Tyler O’Hara for ten of the race’s eleven laps, never trailing by more than a half-second at the start/finish line, but just as it appeared that O’Hara would deny Barnes victory for the second race in a row, a missed shift by O’Hara exiting the final turn gave Barnes the narrow gap he needed to slip by for the victory.
“Tyler’s so strong on the brakes. I could a get good drive and a good run on him out of a lot of different areas on the track but he was just that little bit stronger on the brakes,” Barnes said. “It caught me by surprise when he missed a shift because it was out of the last corner already. I just tucked in and made myself real narrow because he was close to the airfence, and I think he gave me a little bit of space there. There was just enough of a narrow opening for me to get through.”
Although he has earned numerous podiums and victories in other series, the win was the 43-year-old’s first AMA Pro victory since a 750 Supersport race at Las Vegas in 1996.
“Barney really earned it. He kept me honest the whole time. It just took one mistake. Coming out of [turn] eleven, my [transmission] popped out of gear,” O’Hara said. “I’m not disappointed at all, it’s just one of those things, and I’m actually really happy for Barney.”
Polesitter Kyle Wyman finished third, citing an arm pump issue that forced him to settle into a slower pace that allowed Barnes and O’Hara to escape at the front. Further back, Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson’s Shane Narbonne came out of top of a back-and-forth fight for fourth place against Michael Corbino (XP Motorsports/Rossiter’s Harley-Davidson), and Josh Chisum nipped Travis Wyman for sixth. Gerry Signorelli, David Estok, and Darren James rounded out the top ten finishers.
Final Results:
1. Michael Barnes (Bartels’ H-D/Scrubblade), 11 laps
2. Tyler O’Hara (Bartels’ H-D/Scrubblade), +0.149 second
3. Kyle Wyman (KLR Group/Vesrah), +10.238 seconds
4. Shane Narbonne (Suburban Motors H-D), + 20.564 seconds
5. Michael Corbino (XP Motorsports/Rossiter’s H-D), +20.775 seconds
6. Josh Chisum (Bartels’ H-D/Scrubblade), +26.382 seconds
7. Travis Wyman (Harv’s H-D), +26.438 seconds
8. Gerry Signorelli (Kuryakyn), +28.201 seconds
9. David Estok (Trev Deeley Motorcycles), +28.620 seconds
10. Darren James (Ruthless Racing/Deeley), +38.967 seconds
11. Michael R. Hannas II (Lilly Mae’s Cinnamon Rolls), +1:03.474
12. Pete Demas (Route One Racing), +1:03.971
13. Joe Rozynski (Kyle Wyman Racing), +1:16.432
14. Nicholas Hansen (Suburban Motors H-D), +1:22.097
15. Brice Cooper (Woodstock H-D), +1:22.232
16. Jeremiah Johnson (BE-EV.com/New Roc H-D), +1:22.394
17. Paul James (Hoban Cycle/Woodstock H-D), +1:28.272
XR1200 Championship Points
1. O’Hara, 83
2. Barnes, 77
3. K. Wyman, 74
4. T. Wyman, 47
5. Corbino, 43
6. Estok, 41
7. Signorelli, 38
8. D. James, 37
9. Chisum, 36
10. Narbonne, 33
The next round of the Vance & Hines XR1200 series is May 26-27 at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT.
Krawiec Wins NHRA Race in Atlanta
Screamin’ Eagle Team is Undefeated in 2012 Pro Stock Motorcycle Season
The Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines team remains undefeated in 2012 as rider Ed Krawiec won his second NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle event of the season and regained the series points lead at the 32nd Annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway. Krawiec, the defending Pro Stock Motorcycle champion, rode a Harley-Davidson® V-Rod® motorcycle to win the final round of eliminations over Michael Ray on the GottSpeed Racing Buell.
Krawiec, who also won the season-opening event at Gainesville, Fla., qualified in the number two position at Atlantawith an Elapsed Time of 6.895 seconds. Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines rider Andrew Hines qualified the team’s other V-Rod motorcycle in fifth position at 6.987 seconds. Lucas Oil Buell rider Hector Arana Sr. led qualifying at 6.894 seconds.
Krawiec advanced though the first two elimination rounds on Sunday when his opponents, the Edge Suzuki rider Michael Phillips and Geico Suzuki rider Karen Stoffer, each fouled at the starting line. In round three, Krawiec defeated Prana Z Racing Buell rider Shawn Gann to move on the finals.
Hines, who won in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle at Houston last weekend, defeated Savoie Alligator Farm Buell rider Jerry Savoie in the first round on Sunday, but lost to Ray by 0.002 seconds on a holeshot in round two. Ray had a 0.023 second reaction time and 6.970 ET to the 0.037/6.958 pass of Hines.
“My bike fell off just a little in performance, and Ray picked up a little, and we lost a really close one,” said Hines. “We are working on a better tune-up for this hot weather for my bike. But it was another great weekend for the team and we stay one-two in points.”
There was no drama in the final, as Krawiec posted a solid 0.028/6.905 run to defeat Ray’s 0.043/7.036 and earn the 13th Pro Stock Motorcycle win of his career. The race was Ray’s first final-round appearance.
“Right now we are getting awesome consistency in the first 60 feet from the V-Rods,” said Krawiec. “From qualifying through four rounds today, my bike was running 1.07 (seconds) and 1.08 except for a 1.09 late today when the track started to get really sticky. That consistent start is so important for us and is one reason why we keep winning rounds.”
With the win, Krawiec jumps past Hines from second into first place in Pro Stock Motorcycle season points. Krawiec leaves Atlanta with 337 points. Hines is 67 points back with 270. Lucas Oil Buell ride Hector Arana Jr., who lost in round one at Atlanta, is third with 224 points. Hector Arana Sr. lost to Ray in round three at Atlanta and is fourth with 190 points. Stoffer is fifth with 182 points.
The Pro Stock Motorcycles will next race on May 31-June 3 at the 43rd annual Toyota NHRA SuperNationals at OldBridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J.