Courtesy of AMA Pro Road Racing

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 22, 2013) – The stars of GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing are currently gearing up for Round 2 set to take place at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. on May 31-June 2, 2013. As if the on-track action won’t be enough excitement for the loyal AMA Pro Racing fans, the event happens to take place right in the midst of a prevalent bike night season hosted by the Harley-Davidson Museum® just down the road in Milwaukee, Wis. On May 30, the Thursday night before the Subway SuperBike double header is set to launch, bikers from all over the nation will gather around and enjoy good food, drinks and an incredible atmosphere. Road America ticket giveaways will take place at the bike night to give fans a chance to see all the action for free on the last and most exciting day of the event. Bike lift demos and the Harley-Davidson fit shop will all be at anyone’s disposal during the night. A Jumpstart™ will even be on site to give people a real life experience as to what it feels like to ride a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The Jumpstart™ is a fully operational, stationary motorcycle that allows you to shift gears and get the full effect of what it’s really like. For the fifth straight year, Harley-Davidson has celebrated the month of May as “Women Riders Month.” Harley-Davidson has always believed female riders are an integral part of the family since the company’s early days. To show their respect, Harley-Davidson has designated a display in the lobby where the bike night is scheduled to be held dedicated solely to female motorcyclists. Several GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Harley-Davidson riders will be on site representing the impressive Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series. It has yet to be determined precisely which riders will be in attendance but we’re sure there will be some big names in the mix as AMA Pro Racing’s fan friendly, well-spoken athletes genuinely enjoy interaction with the fans of the sport. With Round 2 less than a month away and Bike Night at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee set for May 30, 2013, beginning at 5:00 p.m. fans can bet this is going to be a fun-filled weekend balanced with action packed racing. For more information regarding the Bike Night, please visit h-dmuseum.com. For tickets and more information regarding GEICO Motorcycle Road Racing’s event at Road America later this month, please visit http://www.roadamerica.com.

Courtesy of Roadracingworld.com

Long-time AMA Pro Racer Eric Haugo re-joins the team at Road America on board the MOB Racing #9 XR1200!

Last season Eric raced at Homestead to a 10th place finish and backed that result up with a 7th place finish at NOLA.

“Eric is a great guy, easy to work with. He’s great with the fans and rode the wheels off the Harley at NOLA! We’re happy to have him back and can’t wait to rub his head for luck again! The team, as I’m sure everyone involved in the AMA Series is, is VERY relieved and happy about the new CBS Sports TV deal, and we can’t wait to put on a show for all the fans,” says team owner Dennis Espinosa.

Eric joins Shane Narbonne #46 and Cory Texter #4 on board the teams other XR1200 entries in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines/ Harley Davidson Series.

Started in 2011, MOB Racing (formally MWT Racing) is based in Vernon, NJ, by Dennis Espinosa and Ryan Cino. MOB Racing’s vision is to provide up and coming racers or even the seasoned “Weekend Warrior” on a budget, the full-on AMA Pro Experience with all the bells and whistles! Top shelf bikes, equipment and personnel, all with one goal: making your race weekend and or season the best it can be! Rental XR1200′s are again available as are the 2013 Yamaha R6′s at select events. Send your request or questions to: d_man@mob-racing.com or awesome-tom@mob-racing.com

Myrtle Beach Bike Week is sure to never disappoint, so make sure you come on out between May 10th-19th and join in on the fun! Keep up with all of the latest at vanceandhines.com and our Facebook page facebook.com/vanceandhines. For up-to-date stories and pictures, check out our Twitter and Instagram pages as well @VanceandHines

The Thunder Beach Rally runs through Sunday, May 5th, so make sure to stop by the Vance & Hines truck. Directly following this weekend, we will be taking the show truck up to Myrtle Beach Bike Week from May 10th-19th. To stay connect with Vance & Hines and all of our events, make sure to like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/vanceandhines. Or check out our website at http://www.vanceandhines.com/. Pictures and rally event info will also be posted on our Twitter and Instagram pages @VanceandHines.

Courtesy of Harley-Davidson

BAYTOWN, TX (April 28, 2013) – Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines riders Ed Krawiec and Andrew Hines continued advancement of the team’s new Harley-Davidson® V-Rod® motorcycles, as both riders qualified for the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Royal Purple Raceway, the third Pro Stock Motorcycle event in the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Hines, a winner for three consecutive years at the Houston event, qualified third with an Elapsed Time (ET) of 6.904 seconds. Krawiec had a best ET of 6.947 seconds to qualify in the 14th position. Lucas Oil Buell rider Hector Arana Jr. led all qualifiers at 6.876 seconds. For the second week in a row, rain washed out one of the four qualifying sessions, robbing the Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines team of valuable track time.

“We were really using this race as a test session,” said Hines. “We tried some things with both bikes, going one way with my bike and the other with Ed’s V-Rod. Obviously my tune-up was working better, but then we lost that last session on Saturday, or I’m sure Ed would have qualified further up in the field.”

The qualifying results also placed the Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines teammates in the same pairing for the first round of eliminations on Sunday. Hines prevailed over Krawiec, 6.913 seconds to 6.983 seconds. In the second round, Hines fouled at the starting line to hand the win to Sovereign-Star Racing Buell rider Michael Ray.

“That red light was all on me, a mental issue in my routine at the line that will be easy to correct,” said Hines.

With four weeks off before the next NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle event, the Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines team will engage in a ramped-up test program of the new V-Rod drag bikes, which were completed to meet new NHRA rules just before the start of the season.

“We keep learning about the new motorcycle and the new engine,” said Krawiec, the defending Pro Stock Motorcycle champion. “We’ve seen the tuning we did on the dyno start to come through at races. Now we are going hit the track hard for testing during this break, and come back ready to race at Englishtown.”

After three rounds of Pro Stock Motorcycle competition in 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Arana Jr. leads the class with 375 points, followed by Pollacheck with 256 points and Viper Motorcycle Company Buell rider John Hall in third place with 187 points. Krawiec and Lucas Oil Buell rider Hector Arana Sr. are tied for fourth place with 174 points. Hines is in seventh place with 144 points.

The Pro Stock Motorcycles will next race at the 44th annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals, May 30-June 2, at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J.

Company Information
Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel, and general merchandise. For more information, visit harley-davidson.com.

The Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Pro Stock Motorcycle team is sponsored by Dunlop and Traxxas.

For daily event photos check out our Facebook page facebook.com/vanceandhines.  To keep up on all of the latest Vance & Hines information go to our website vanceandhines.com.  And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram too @VanceandHines.

For complete event details visit the official Laughlin River Run Rally website: http://www.laughlinriverrun.com/

Courtesy of AMA Pro Road Racing

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 25, 2013) – Arguably one of the biggest names without a championship to his credit in GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing is Tyler O’Hara. The Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series superstar has finished third in the points in his last two seasons and has been a force to reckon with ever since joining the series in 2011. After winning Round 1 at Daytona International Speedway last month by a mere .075 seconds over a chargingKyle Wyman, O’Hara has added his name to the discussion once again as to who will be the next crowned Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series Champion.

“We put ourselves in the right place at the right time and managed to seal our first ever victory at Daytona,” said O’Hara. “I’m feeling very comfortable on the Harley this year. I think with the combination of our solid mechanics and good equipment, we can make a legitimate run at the title this season.”

The Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series is arguably one of the most exciting classes on the circuit as the thundering XR1200’s are very evenly matched all across the board. The race at Daytona this season saw nine riders all within less than a second of each other as they crossed the finish line.

Last season, it was Michael Barnes who captured the title with five wins to his credit. After O’Hara’s victory at Daytona, many have pinned him as the favorite to knock off Barnes for the 2013 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series Championship.

Next round’s action takes place at Road America for the Subway SuperBike Doubleheader. Look for O’Hara to try and repeat his stellar Round 1 effort and add to his lead in the standings on the back of his Eco Fuel Saver/Scrubblade No. 29 Harley-Davidson XR1200 at Elkhart Lake, Wis. on May 31-June 2, 2013. For tickets and more information please visit http://www.roadamerica.com.

Courtesy of Harley-Davidson

CONCORD, NC (April 21, 2013) -Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines rider Ed Krawiec raced from the final qualifying spot to the final round of the Dollar General NHRA Four-Wide Nationals fueled by Full Throttle to finish second overall in the event at zMAX Raceway.

Krawiec, the defending NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion, saw his weekend get off to a bad start when a technical issue forced him to shut down his motorcycle just before the first round of qualifying on Friday. The second Friday round was rained out, and Krawiec made the field in the third qualifying round on Saturday with an Elapsed Time (ET) of 6.974 seconds, good for 11th position. He improved to 6.972 seconds in the final round on Saturday, but dropped to the 16th spot as other riders posted quicker runs. Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines rider Andrew Hines qualified ninth with a best run of 6.912 seconds in the final qualifying round on Saturday. Lucas Oil Buell rider Hector Arana Jr. had a best run of 6.826 seconds to lead qualifying.

“This is only our second race with this brand-new V-Rod motorcycle and engine combination, so every run down the track is crucial for us,” said Krawiec. “Getting just one run on Friday instead of four gave the team limited data for Saturday. We had decent runs on Saturday but everyone else picked up the pace.”

In the four-wide format, the fastest two out of the four riders in each elimination round advance to the next round. Krawiec posted his best run of the weekend in the first round on Sunday, a 6.879-second pass to win that round over second-place Arana Jr. An ET of 6.921 seconds placed Hines third in that same round, and he did not advance.

“The way qualifying worked out was unfortunate because it put Eddie and me in the same first round, and then the track went away from my tune-up,” said Hines. “Since Gainesville we made some progress with the new engine testing in the shop that did not translate to the track this weekend, but it’s great for the team to get Eddie to the finals. We’ll just keep working at it until this new motorcycle comes around.”

In the second round, Krawiec (6.946 seconds) advanced after finishing second to Arana Jr. (6.855).

Riders in the final included Arana Jr., Krawiec, Sovereign-Star Racing Buell rider Scott Pollacheck and E-Z Go Golf Carts Suzuki rider Jim Underdahl. Arana Jr. was the winner with a 0.028-second reaction time and 6.896 ET. Krawiec (0.024/6.924) defeated Pollacheck (0.000/6.948) by 0.0001-second in official timing. Underdahl (0.011/6.942) was last in the round.

“I knew on Sunday I had to be on my game as a rider, and we took some risks with the tune-up that worked for us,” said Krawiec. “The bike got better. We’ve made some improvement but we are still not where we need to be.”

After two rounds of Pro Stock Motorcycle competition in the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Arana Jr. leads the class with 248 points, followed by Pollacheck with 155 points, and Krawiec in third place with 143 points. Hines is in ninth place with 87 points.

The Pro Stock Motorcycles will next race at the 26th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries, April 26-28 at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas (Houston).

Company Information
Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel, and general merchandise. For more information, visit harley-davidson.com.
The Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Pro Stock Motorcycle team is sponsored by Dunlop and Traxxas.

Courtesy of amaproracing.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 2, 2013) – Bobby Fong did not disappoint at this year’s GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season opener at Daytona. Third-place finishes in both the DAYTONA 200 and the lone AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series race are strong indications that Fong is showing up to play in 2013. The Stockton, California product made the switch to ride for RMR/Triple Crown Industries this season and the move looks to be paying off quite nicely.

“Richie (Morris) is a great teacher and an excellent businessman,” said Fong. “He and I have become great friends ever since we started working together. He has helped me quite a bit as far as speaking with my sponsors and how to promote myself a lot better. Overall, I’m very pleased with how smoothly everything has gone with my newly assembled team this year.”

Though Fong is pleased with his third-place efforts at Daytona to kick off the 2013 season, he still isn’t completely satisfied and won’t settle with any results other than perfection.

“The whole team did really well at Daytona,” said Fong. “Third-place is something to be proud of and to build off of, but I’m not content with just that. My team and I know what we have to do in order to prepare ourselves for Road America. Personally, I plan on shredding a few pounds to be as light on the bike as possible to give myself the absolute best chance to come away with a win.”

After racing in just his first career AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series race in 2012, Fong looks to complete a full season’s worth of races on both his Harley-Davidson as well as in AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike competition in 2013. Expect Fong and fellow teammate Michael Barnes, defending AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Champion, to split time atop the box on multiple occasions this season.

As far as the 2013 AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike season is concerned, Fong has a world of confidence in himself and his team moving forward. When asked about Yamaha Extended Service/Graves riders Cameron Beaubier and Garret Gerloff, and their excellent first and second-place performances in the DAYTONA 200, and how whether or not he would be able to hang with them, Fong responded with; “I’m very confident that we have the machinery and personnel to have what it takes in order to compete with anyone in the AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike class. Cameron and Garret are elite competitors and I have a lot of respect for them. I love competing against guys like them because it brings out the best in me. There’s no doubt this is going to be a very exciting season.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 18, 2013) – With several AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles seasons under his belt, Cory Texter decided to make the switch from dirt to asphalt this past offseason to compete in the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series for the 2013 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season. After finishing in the middle of the pack on the No. 4 MOB Racing/Invisible Glass Harley-Davidson XR1200 in his first professional road race, Texter stamped his name among the other strong contenders in the series.

“Every time I get on the new bike it helps me gain valuable experience,” said Texter. “I have had a few track days since Daytona and have a few more planned coming up before Road America. I can’t thank my team enough, MOB Racing, for giving me a ride and the opportunity to compete at this level.”

Cory isn’t the only one in his family that has a strong motorcycle racing background, as his father Randy Texter has a US Twin Sports Series win to his credit. Cory’s sister, Shayna Texter is one of AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles’ rising stars. Shayna was responsible for three wins in 2012 at the J&P Cycles Pro Singles level and finished fifth in the final point standings. Shayna is also a well-known fan favorite of the series for being very kind and approachable in the paddock.

Fans can catch Cory Texter make his second start of the season on the No. 4 MOB Racing Harley-Davidson XR1200 on May 31-June 2, 2013 when the stars of GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing head to Road America for the Subway SuperBike Doubleheader. For tickets and information, please visit http://www.roadamerica.com.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla (March 26, 2013) – Just about everyone expected the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series to deliver the kind of wild and entertaining racing action it has in the past as it officially kicked off the 2013 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season on Friday, March 15, 2013 at Daytona International Speedway, and did it ever.

While a pack of Harley-Davidson XR1200s dueling in the draft around the high banks was to be expected, few were optimistic enough to predict an eleven-rider pack from green light to checkered flag with head-shaking moments of eight abreast as they crossed the stripe to start another circulation in the hard-fought seven-lap contest.

With no one able to make a break, the race took shape as a strategic affair, each man testing their ability to pick off multiple opponents for one last run to the flag and positioning themselves accordingly on the crucial final lap.

In the end, it was Tyler O’Hara (Eco Fuel Saver/ Scrubblade) who was able to strategically maneuver himself through the field of talented riders and cross the finish line first. The win for O’Hara couldn’t have come at a better time as the Californian has had a bitter taste in his mouth all offseason after barely missing the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Championship.

O’Hara followed the lead of two-time DIS Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson race winner, Kyle Wyman, who cut a path through the pack as he raced to the checkered flag.

Wyman appeared set to make it three-for-three aboard the Revolution Performance/Millennium Technologies machine, but O’Hara had just enough momentum to blast past at the drop of the checkered flag.

“It was crazy,” race-winner O’Hara said. “It was almost like riding a Pro Single on a mile. I’m just happy everybody rode respectfully. I was just riding the rear brake a lot and trying not to hit the guy in front of me. We had the whole team working extremely hard this offseason and to come away with a win is just an amazing feeling.”

O’Hara spoke on being given the chance to make up for last season’s narrow runner-up championship result, “I’ve been working extra hard. When something slips out of your fingers like that, it makes you realize how bad you want it. There’s a long off-season but that’s past us, and we’re all looking forward now. It was a good lesson learned. We came prepared and we’re in it for the long haul.”

Second-place finisher Wyman spoke on behalf of the close quarters he was forced to race in throughout the duration of the race, “I know a little bit about the draft but that was the first time I’ve ever experienced anything like that in my entire life. That’s drafting at a whole different level and it’s so hard to figure out where you want to be. I kind of played with a lot of different stuff throughout the race — I kind of put myself in a lot of different spots to see where I would end up by the end of the straightaway. Twice, I think I came out like fifth or sixth and ended up leading that lap so that’s where I wanted to be. However, I’m aware that when you’ve got 15 XRs all trying to occupy the same piece of real estate, you’re going to run into some problems. I’m just thankful that nobody crashed into each other, and we were able to come out of their safely. You could have thrown a tissue over all of us.”

Rossmeyer’s Harley-Davidson’s Bobby Fong kicked off what turned out to be a spectacular weekend by crossing the line in third (he also finished third the following day in the 72nd running of the DAYTONA 200).

“I thought the race went well,” said Fong. “It was just a scrap the whole time with all of us banging bars. It was one of the best races I’ve ever been in. There was a huge group of us up front, and it all came down to the draft on the final lap. I’m happy with how we ran and the hard work our team put in leading up to this race.”

Rossiter’s Harley-Davidson of Sarasota’s Michael Corbino took fourth while Canadian Steve Crevier was credited with fifth on the Motosports Plus Harley after Carlson was DQ’d following the post-race technical inspection. Defending 2012 AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Champion Michael Barnes crossed the finish line less than a half-second behind the race winner, but only earned sixth-place on the Rossmeyer’s Harley-Davidson.

The Gatornationals was the first Pro Stock Motorcycle event of the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, and the first to run under new rules that forced the defending champion Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines team to design and build a new two-valve pushrod engine and alter its Screamin’ Eagle V-Rod motorcycles, a project that was completed just days before the season-opening event at Gainesville.

“We were not here to qualify number one, we were just here to race,” said Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines crew chief Matt Hines. “When we left the shop I really didn’t know if these bikes would make it down the track without melting down. We ran the new motors on the dyno and we were down on power compared to last year, and the question was would we have enough power to compete. But we ran in the sixes right away in testing at Valdosta, and both riders qualified at Gainesville and got a round under their belts. All things considered, it could not have gone more smoothly. We are not that far behind.”

Hines qualified fifth with a best Elapsed Time (ET) of 6.836 seconds. Krawiec, the defending Pro Stock Motorcycle champion, qualified his Harley-Davidson V-Rod in 10th position at 6.882 seconds. Viper Motorcycle Company Buell rider Matt Smith topped the quickest Pro Stock Motorcycle field in history with an ET of 6.804 seconds.

On Sunday, Hines defeated Adam Arana on the ProtectTheHarvest.com/MAVtv Buell in round one, and lost to Suzuki rider Steve Johnson in round two. Krawiec advanced in the first round after Vroom/MBT/LAT Racing Oil Buell rider Mike Berry left the starting line early. In round two Krawiec lost to Lucas Oil Buell rider Hector Arana Jr. Arana Jr. defeated Johnson in the final round to win the event.

“Our only goal for this weekend was to qualify and not break anything,” said Krawiec. “We achieved both those goals and got some good data, and for both our V-Rod motorcycles to qualify in the top 10 of a record-fast field is outstanding. These motorcycles show a lot of promise.”

The NHRA awarded its Gainesville “Best Engineered” honor to the Screamin’ Eagle V-Rod raced by Hines.

“It’s a tribute to all of the time and dedication [invested] during the off-season by the team,” said Hines. “I think the new engine responded better than we expected. I had the low 60-foot time in four of my six runs, which has never happened before, so I think that shows we’ve got a handle on the clutching. I think we’ll go home and dedicate these next four weeks to finding more horsepower. I see no reason why we can’t get back to the performance we had in 2012. My goal is to have these two bikes up front in qualifying by Englishtown, if not sooner.”

After one round of Pro Stock Motorcycle competition, Arana Jr. leads the class with 125 points, followed by Johnson with 96, Arana Sr. with 85, and Sovereign-Star Racing Buell rider Scott Pollacheck with 73 points. Hines is in fifth place with 55 points, followed by Viper Motorcycle Company Buell rider John Hall with 54 points and Krawiec in seventh place with 52 points.

The Pro Stock Motorcycles will next race at the 4th annual Dollar General NHRA Four-Wide Nationals fueled by Full Throttle, April 19-21 at zMAX Raceway in Concord, N.C.

Courtesy of AMA Pro Racing

Throughout this season racing the Harley I have made physical contact with fellow racers on the track in a respectful manner, letting the other riders know I was in their hip pocket for safety. The last lap battle with Michael Barnes at NOLA Motorsports Park was not meant to be different. We raced clean the entire race as well as the entire season. As we entered the last turn I road right up next to Mike on the inside. We were practically touching throughout the whole corner. As we exited the corner, I made contact with Mike’s right arm. I was not trying to be malicious or make a joke or gain an advantage. I was riding in the moment and my instincts took over. I apologize for creating a potentially dangerous situation, that wasn’t my intention. I’ve learned a valuable lesson. I do not wish take anything away from Mike, he is an incredible competitor. I intend to move forward and I am prepared to focus on future championships.

Overall this season has been an amazing journey. I fully intend to return to the 2013 AMA Pro Racing season, however my final race plans for next season are still to be determined. I want to thank Harley-Davidson, and Vance & Hines for giving us this great opportunity and bringing so much attention to our sport. Also, everyone at AMA Pro Racing, The JCR Scrubblade Bartels Harley Davidson Team, Orient Express, Jon Tyus, K-Tech suspension, Moto Liberty, RS Taichi, Arai, Motul, Iron Horse Fabrication, Troy Lee Designs, Mammoth Motorsports, Motion Pro, Barnett Clutches, Galfer, Joker, my Crew Chief Keaton Hendrickson, Mitsu Hoshino, Josh Chisum, my friends, and family, and all of my fans.

Tyler O’Hara

www.TYLEROHARA.net

Courtesy of AMA PRO RACING
AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series

On the final lap, Eco Fuel Saver/Scrubblade/Bartel’s Harley-Davidson’s Tyler O’Hara and Revolution Performance/Millennium Technologies’ Kyle Wyman once again demonstrated why they are regular contenders for victory in the class, showcasing some serious strategic acumen.

Sitting several positions out of first as they started the final run to the flag, Wyman and O’Hara built up steam as they utilized the draft to blast past a succession of opponents. Wyman rushed into first with the checkers in sight, but O’Hara made one final slingshot maneuver and stole the win away at the stripe.

“It was crazy,” race-winner O’Hara said. “It was almost like riding a Pro Single on a mile. It was hairball and I’m just happy everybody rode respectfully… My main goal was to come out of here with some good points and we did.

“Coming onto the banking I was in like sixth or seventh and I told my dad I thought I could win from around sixth. I was like ‘slingshot — engaged!’

“It’s all about putting yourself in the right place at the right time. It feels really good to come out of here with a win.”

Rossmeyer’s Harley-Davidson’s Bobby Fong came home in third in a race that saw the top 10 riders separated by a meager 0.792 seconds.

Rossiter’s Harley Davidson’s Michael Corbino finished fourth and Canadian Steve Crevier rounded out the top five, followed by defending champ Michael Barnes, who got shuffled down the order in the chaotic final drafting battle. NJMP winner Shane Narbonne was seventh, followed by pole winner Travis Wyman, Gage McAllister and Eric Stump completing the top ten. Ben Carlson was originally scored fifth, but was later disqualified for failing to comply with post-race technical inspection.

Live Timing & Scoring of all on-track sessions will be available at http://live.amaproracing.com/rr/. Between the races, stay connected with AMA Pro Road Racing at www.twitter.com/AMAProSBK and www.facebook.com/AMAProRoadRacing; keep up with Daytona International Speedway via Twitter (www.twitter.com/DISupdates) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway).

Courtesy of AMA Pro Racing

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 14, 2013) - History — and common sense — suggest that this weekend’s AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway will be nothing short of a multi-rider dogfight to the checkered flag.

Entering its fourth season of existence, the spec class series has quickly earned its place in the GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing line-up by producing reliably close and unpredictable racing, and nowhere has that been more evident than on the high banks of Daytona.

The two previous H-D Daytona clashes were defined by strategic gamesmanship and impossibly close maneuvers and the same will be expected in 2013.

In 2011, Kyle Wyman won by .016 seconds over Chris Fillmore, with Joe Kopp just 0.89 seconds off the win and Steve Rapp missing the podium but only 0.136 seconds short of taking the checkered flag first.

2012 saw Wyman win again in another contest that saw four men take hit the stripe within a second of the win with season-long title rivals Tyler O’Hara and Michael Barnes rounding out the podium.

While Wyman’s promising campaign ended early due to injury last season, the championship wasn’t decided until after the checkered flag was waved for the final race of the season, with the nod going to Barnes over O’Hara in what was the culmination in the Floridian’s long quest to claim his first individual AMA Pro crown.

Barnes is back with the #1 plate in 2013, riding a Rossmeyers Harley-Davidson backed by Bikers Choice. O’Hara (Eco Fuel Saver, Scrubblade, Bartel’s Harley-Davidson) and Wyman (Revolution Performance, Millennium Technologies) return as well, as the three men will look to reignite their three-way rivalry for class dominance.

However, there are other riders in the field with the potential to push for the checkered flag. Chief among them are former Superbike hero Rapp, who is back on an XR1200 with Suburban Motors Harley-Davidson, joining ex-Supermoto ace Ben Carlson, who has developed into a fine roadracer aboard the big Harley twin.

New Jersey Motorsports Park winner Shane Narbonne will again compete for Mob Racing, while SportBike race winner Bobby Fong and British sensation Sandra Stammova will team with champ Barnes on Rossmeyers Harley-Davidson equipment.

Michael Corbino (Rossiter’s Harley-Davidson of Sarasota), Josh Chisum (Eco Fuel Saver, Scrubblade, JC Racing), Travis Wyman (Harv’s Harley-Davidson), and Steve Crevier (Motorsports Plus) are just a few of the other names that could easily prove to be factors up front in what’s virtually guaranteed to be a hard-fought AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson opener.

Qualifying for Vance & Hines Harley -Davidson Series grid positions will take place in two sessions, Thursday afternoon at 5:30 p.m. and Friday morning at 9:40 a.m. The 7-lap contest will kick off the 2013 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season’s race action on Friday at 2:15 p.m. local time.

Live Timing & Scoring of all on-track sessions will be available at http://live.amaproracing.com/rr/ Between the races, stay connected with AMA Pro Road Racing at www.twitter.com/AMAProSBK and www.facebook.com/AMAProRoadRacing; keep up with Daytona International Speedway via Twitter (www.twitter.com/DISupdates) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway).

For tickets and additional event information, visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.

The Gatornationals is the season debut for NHRA’s two-wheel class, Pro Stock Motorcycle. Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock), and Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s event champions. The third of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will be televised on ESPN2HD.

“We’re excited, looking forward to Gainesville,” Krawiec said. “Hopefully, the performance side of it will steadily increase throughout the season. For me, I know the target is on my back, and everybody’s after me. They want my No. 1 plate. The hardest thing is to maintain it. When you’re in the No. 1 spot, the only place to go is backwards. From two on up, you can improve. From one, the only way to go is down.”

Guarding his throne will not be an easy task. The NHRA’s new Pro Stock Motorcycle rules have teams working overtime in preparation for their season opener in Gainesville. Krawiec is confident that the growing pains will be cured and will try to start the season right where he left off in 2012.

“As a rider, I feel like I have it together mentally,” Krawiec said. “Obviously, after the rule changes this past season, we had to go back and do pretty much a whole redesign of the top half of the motor. It’s going to be a long road from here. There are a lot of great bikes out there. It will be interesting to see how we stack up and see how competitive we are off the hit. It’s exciting just to be able to make Gainesville at this point.”

The Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson rider is coming off a record-making 2012 season that included winning his third Pro Stock Motorcycle championship on the strength of nine victories, two runner-up finishes, and five No. 1 qualifying positions. He lost only seven rounds of racing the entire season.

“For us as drivers, obviously with the momentum, after coming off a championship, I’m ready to go two weeks later,” Krawiec said. “Let’s start the schedule again, go racing. But I think as a racer, the key thing is being able to develop your overall package, refine what it is you have, then go out there and continue to race. The off-season is much-needed time, but now I’m ready to go racing.”

Defending last season’s win at the Gators would be a great kick start for the Harley-Davidson team. In the final round, Krawiec defeated teammate Andrew Hines, becoming only the second racer to earn the maximum 150 points by winning the race, setting a national e.t. record (6.750 seconds), leading all four qualifying sessions, and earning the No. 1 qualifying position.

“Our intentions at Gainesville are right now to show up with our two Harley-Davidsons and qualify,” Krawiec said. “Anything from there on would be a bonus. Then we’ll continually raise our goals going to each race throughout the season. I’m excited.”

Fellow Harley-Davidson teammate Hines, the 2004 Gainesville winner and a three-time world champ, is looking to finally seal the deal with a fourth championship this season. Hector Arana Sr., 2009 world champion and event winner, is taking his two sons, 2011 rookie of the year Hector Jr. and rookie Adam Arana, along for the ride onboard their Lucas Oil Buell bikes this season with hopes to end a winless streak. Power couple Matt and Angie Smith revamped their three-bike team with rider John Hall. Others to watch in the two-wheel class this season include new Sovereign/Star Buell rider Michael Ray and teammate Scotty Pollacheck and Suzuki rider Jimmy Underdahl.

In Top Fuel, defending event winner Lucas will be challenged by seven-time world champion and Mello Yello points leader Tony Schumacher, a four-time winner of the Gatornationals. Others seeking wins include defending world champ Antron Brown, O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries winner Shawn Langdon, Spencer Massey, and Doug Kalitta. Rookie driver Brittany Force will make her first Pro start in Gainesville in her Castrol Edge dragster.

In Funny Car, two-time Gatornationals winner Ron Capps leads the points standings in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger. Defending event winner Hight and defending world champ Jack Beckman will try to grab their first victories of the season. Other pre-race favorites in the 8,000-horsepower category include track record holder Cruz Pedregon; Winternationals winner Courtney Force; 15-time world champ John Force, who has seven Gatornationals victories on his resume; Matt Hagan; Del Worsham; and 2009 Gators winner Bob Tasca III.

The Pro Stock class is chock-full of championship contenders, including defending event winner Edwards in his Interstate Batteries/I am Second Chevy Camaro, four-time Gatornationals winner Jason Line, Phoenix winner Erica Enders-Stevens, Winternationals winner and points leader Vincent Nobile, two-time Gatornationals champ Jeg Coughlin Jr., and defending world champ Allen Johnson, who drives the Team Mopar Dodge Avenger.

The NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, which will compete at 10 events in 2013, also will take to the track for the first time this year as Troy Coughlin looks to defend his world championship title.

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, which offers a spectacular display of many nostalgic dragsters, race cars, and hot rods, including vintage machines that were driven by “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Don Carlton, K.S. Pittman, “Big John” Mazmanian, Bruce Larson, and Jerry Baltes, among others. Several NHRA Legends of Drag Racing autograph sessions also will be scheduled throughout the weekend, allowing fans the rare opportunity to meet many of NHRA Drag Racing’s biggest stars from the past.

Fans also will want to take advantage of the popular Championship Sunday Track Walk, which is free to all Sunday ticket holders, with Top Fuel legend and Florida resident Darrell Gwynn. This popular event gives fans the opportunity to walk down the legendary dragstrip alongside some of NHRA’s biggest stars.

On Friday at the track, fans will have the rare opportunity to attend a special Nitro Pit Party and Press Conference in the Pro pits prior to the first qualifying session. Many of the top stars in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will be featured during the press conference, which starts at 10:45 a.m.

As its Nitro Generation celebration continues, NHRA is offering free general admission for children 12 and younger with a paying adult.

• SCHEDULE: NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying sessions are scheduled for noon and 2:15 p.m. on Friday, March 15, and continue on Saturday, March 16, at noon and 2:15 p.m. Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 17.

• TICKETS: For tickets for the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals, log on to NHRATIX.com or call the NHRA Ticket Sales Center, 800-884-NHRA (6472).

• TELEVISION: On Sunday, March 17, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise 90 minutes of qualifying coverage at 1:30 a.m. ET and three hours of eliminations coverage at 7 p.m. ET.

The defending national champion Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Pro Stock Motorcycle drag racing team will open a season celebrating the Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary at the 44th annual Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, Fla., March 14-17. The event is the first for Pro Stock Motorcycles on the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

Both of the team’s Harley-Davidson V-Rod motorcycles will wear special livery inspired by the Limited Edition 110th Anniversary Harley-Davidson motorcycles through the end of the anniversary in September. The #1 V-Rod of defending Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Ed Krawiec will have the Vintage Bronze and Vintage Black anniversary paint scheme and medallions available on many standard production Harley-Davidson models. Andrew Hines will race the #2 V-Rod in the Diamond Dust and Obsidian anniversary colors offered on 2013 Harley-Davidson Custom Vehicle Operations models.

“Racing has always been part of the Harley-Davidson DNA,” said Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Kris Schoonover. “The Harley-Davidson racing department was established in 1914, and the company founders were engaged in competition even earlier than that. We’re still racing hard, and this year to celebrate the 110th milestone the Screamin’ Eagle drag bikes will be wearing the same anniversary paint as our production motorcycles.”

New Rules, New Engines
The Harley-Davidson V-Rod drag bikes that roll off the Vance & Hines trailer in Gainesville will be significantly different from the bikes that dominated the Pro Stock Motorcycle class in 2012, winning 15 of 16 events and taking Krawiec to a second consecutive title, with Hines placing second in the points. An NHRA rule change for V-Twin engines mandating two-valve cylinder heads and minimum pushrod length of eight inches was announced in November 2012, immediately after the final race of the season. To comply with the new rules, the Screamin’ Eagle team had to abandon its successful four-valve/overhead cam engine and design a new power plant in time for the 2013 season.

“I think we got NHRA approval of the new design on December 21, and it’s been full steam ahead in the shop since then,” said Krawiec. “We’ve had eleven weeks to do the work we’d like to do in six months. We have an experienced team and resources at Vance & Hines, and there has been valuable input from the Harley-Davidson engineering staff at the Willie G. Davidson Product Development Center and great support from our vendors. Our first goal is to make it to Gainesville, do a burnout, and get both motorcycles qualified. I think for the first half of the season we’ll be doing a lot of development work, but that should be an exciting process.”

The new engine necessitated a redesign of the front end of the V-Rod motorcycles, including new bodywork, plus new airboxes, exhaust, and a new wiring harness, according to Andrew Hines.

“This has probably been the most challenging off-season ever for Vance & Hines,” said Hines, who is the son of team owner Byron Hines and the brother of crew chief Matt Hines. “The new bike will be a little lighter but will also make less power, so we are not going to be as strong as we were last year. But we still go into the season with the goal of winning the championship, and I think if we can stay in the top ten until the Countdown playoffs start in September we have a good chance because we’ve got a great team. The schedule this year is in our favor, because we’ve got a month off after Gainesville, and then another four-week break in May, which will give us some time to test and further develop the new engines.”

In 2012 the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines team dominated the Pro Stock Motorcycle class, winning 15 of 16 events. Krawiec won his third championship and second in a row, with nine wins in 11 final-round appearances. Hines scored a career-best six event wins in 11 final-round appearances, and set a new Pro Stock Motorcycle national Elapsed Time (ET) record of 6.728 seconds at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pa.

Designed for the new 2013 Softail CVO Breakout, the Big Radius 2-into-2 also incorporate Vance & Hines flat plane mounting panel for the 12mm oxygen sensors now employed across the Softail model line, which positions the sensor deeper into the exhaust stream, providing enhanced data feedback to the ECM.

- Custom Style Matched with Quality Production.
- Flat Plane 12mm Oxygen Sensor Mounts.
- Radius Curved Louvered Baffles.
- Full Coverage Heat Shields.

Highlights of the weekend’s AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series races from Daytona will be included in the SPEED broadcasts and will also be available live on SPEED2, an online-only racing network located at www.speed2.com.

Live coverage of Friday’s Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series race and Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport Race 1 can be viewed in a set of back-to-back airings on SPEED2 starting at 2:15 p.m. ET/11:15 p.m. PT. The second Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport race can be viewed live on Saturday, March 16, 2013, on SPEED2 starting at 10:00 a.m. ET/7:00 a.m. PT.

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing atwww.amaproracing.com.