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Norwalk where Arana turned the corner in his career
Jun 23rd
NORWALK, Ohio (June 23) — Summit Motorsports Park will always be a magical place for defending NHRA Full Throttle Series Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Hector Arana. After all, the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals is the first place where Arana guided the Lucas Oil Buell to the victory circle.
“It’s special to me in my heart,” Arana said. “It’s a good location. It’s a beautiful track. The fans over there are awesome. Combine that with it being where I got my first win and it’s an unbeatable place for me.”
Arana said the atmosphere surrounding the event is always one he and his Lucas Oil camp enjoys very much.
“I’m looking forward to going there and having a good time,” said Arana, a veteran of two decades of competition. “My family is excited too, because we go to Cedar Point amusement park on Thursday and have a great day over there. And when we get to the track there’s the pound of ice cream for one dollar. You can’t beat that. I already know which flavors I’m going to get.”
That first win at Norwalk was the catalyst in the chain of events that lead to Arana’s championship a year ago. Currently he’s the man with the target on his back, leading the Pro Stock Motorcycle points by 127 markers over second-place Michael Phillips. Four bike races remain before the start of the NHRA’s postseason, the Countdown to 1.
“I’m not going to worry about who’s chasing me and everything,” Arana said. “I’ve really got to concentrate on the Lucas Oil bike and see if we can win the next race.
“I really am looking forward to winning another Wally soon.”
Qualifying for the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals begins at 4:45 p.m. EDT on Friday. Highlights from qualifying will be broadcast in prime time on ESPN2 Saturday.
K.I.S.S. stands for ‘Keep It Simple, Stoffer’
Jun 22nd
NORWALK, Ohio (June 22) — Like many of the tens of thousands of fans that will pour through the gates of Summit Motorsports Park for this weekend’s national event, GEICO Powersports Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Karen Stoffer plans to indulge in the famous $1 ice cream offered by track owner Bill Bader.
Aside from the obvious pleasures, the ice cream treat will represent a new start for the popular rider, who has endured a rougher-than-expected start to the 2010 season.
“We need to start having fun again,” Stoffer said. “We’ve put an awful lot of pressure on ourselves and the frustration level has been pretty high. That’s not why we do this. Sure, it’s drag racing and you’re going to have tough stretches but we should never lose sight of the fact we get to do something pretty special for a living.
“We’re starting fresh in Norwalk and that $1 ice cream is going to get things aimed in the right direction. It’s time to keep it simple, do what we know how to do, and let things come to us like they have in the past.”
Over the off-season, in an effort to level the playing field in the class, the NHRA rules committee allowed Suzuki riders to switch to a slightly larger and more powerful motor. Although Stoffer recorded a national record elapsed time in the first race of the season, the adjustment period has been significant for all of the Suzuki-sponsored pros, and it wasn’t until the last event in Englishtown, N.J., that the Buell and Harley riders began feeling threatened.
“I think we’re all figuring things out, slowly but surely,” Stoffer said. “In fact, the Norwalk race will be a really good indicator of how we match up with the other manufacturers because that track can produce some really big numbers if the conditions are right.
“It’s one of the newer tracks on the NHRA tour and the Bader family obviously takes a lot of pride in the place because it’s very well maintained. Personally, I enjoy the fans because they are really knowledgeable and supportive of our class. It’s one of the more northern locations where we ride and that makes it special.”
In order to have her bike fully prepared for the event, Stoffer’s crew chief and husband Gary has spent the last several days in Indianapolis, freshening up the team’s motors and checking over the bike from front to back.
“We’ll be ready to race,” Stoffer said.