Boy, was Jerry Savoie mistaken.

But he learned and he earned.

The Cut Off, La., alligator farmer – the current Pro Stock Motorcycle champion – will lead the Amalie Oil Gatornationals field into eliminations Sunday. And he truly appreciates the position he’s in, the position he discovered does not come easily.

“I’ve been coming to the Gators for six years now. My first year out, we qualified sixth. I really thought when we bought Mr. [Don] Schumacher’s stuff, it was going to be real easy: We were going to qualify No. 1 and win the race. Six years later, finally – finally! – we get to qualify No. 1 at Gainesville,” Savoie said.

“So for me, it’s a special privilege, and for my crew,” he said after posting a 6.753-second elapsed time at 198.99 mph in the third overall session Saturday on the quarter-mile course at Auto-Plus Raceway. “I’m proud to be here representing the Pro Stock Motorcycle class.”

He improved from fifth place in Friday’s two sessions to grab the No. 1 spot in Saturday’s first opportunity. In the penultimate pairing of Q3, Savoie knocked Eddie Krawiec from the No. 1 slot – while Krawiec powered through a bit of tire rattling in the opposite lane to clock a 199.88-mph speed that matched Hector Arana Jr.’s national-record speed – one that doubles as the class’ fastest ever.

Savoie credited his crew chief, Tim Kulungian, and his “very thorough” crew for giving him a White Alligator Racing Suzuki that set the pace in qualifying at the category’s first event of the season. He said Kulungian “is obsessed” with the pursuit of excellence.

“If you look back at all the years I’ve been out here, the first three or four races we really do . . . not terrible . . . but we don’t run really strong,” Savoie said. “When everything starts getting hot and smudgy – humid, what-not – Tim really turns it up and has it figured out. The guy’s smart, man. So this winter, he created a dyno room that can change atmospheric conditions, and it paid off.”

He said that Friday “here was a [6.]73 out there, but we just annihilated the tire. We’re making so much power that it just got away from us on both passes.”     

Savoie marveled at how close Krawiec came to nailing that elusive 200-mph speed but said “yesterday [Friday] morning was the time to do it. But we had a headwind. Today was not the proper conditions to go 200. If you look at the increments – and I could be wrong . . . and I’m kind of sticking my neck out with the Harleys – but I think they made a run at it. I really believe that. He had a 1.14[-second] 60-foot. I think it was intentional to get a running start – kind of like a slingshot – You get the tire spinning really hard and when you get the tire to hook up, it kind of throws the bike out there.

“It didn’t happen. I don’t know when it’s going to happen,” he said. “But you know what? This is not our main focus. If it comes this year and it’s given to us, good. Our focus is to qualify No. 1 and win rounds and gobble up all them points like Pac Man and keep on truckin’.”

His first race-day test of the year will come against Karen Stoffer in the opening round Sunday.

The champion said, “I have zero pressure on me this year. I’m having fun. We’re going to have fun as a team. But we have some good riders out there. It’s anybody’s game.”    

Savoie shared Saturday’s qualifying spotlight with Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car), and Jason Line (Pro Stock).