No races have taken place this season in NHRA’s Mello Yello Series Pro Stock Motorcycle class.

The PSM competitors were supposed to have their season-opening event at the Gatornatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., March 13-15.

However, the race was halted March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In the latest revised scheduled, racing is supposed to begin July 11-12 with NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, including the Pro Stock Motorcycle class.

Veteran NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Hector Arana Sr. is anxious to get back in the racing groove.

His team will have a different look in 2020 as it will only campaign one motorcycle full-time and it will be driven by his son, Hector Arana, Jr.

“Right now, it is just going to be Hector (Jr.),” the elder Arana said. “We have been trying to get as many engines as ready as we can because once we hit the road we are not coming back. Having just Hector (Jr.) run is the best-case scenario for us right now.”

Arana Jr. will once again be running an EBR (Erik Buell Racing) motorcycle sponsored by Lucas Oil.

“We are going to try and test a couple things (July 10) at the test session in Indy and go from there and see what we have compared to the rest of the competitors,” Arana Sr. said. “That test session (July 10) is going to be very important. It’s going to be very important for us to get back in the rhythm on being on the bike again. The last time we were on the bike is when (Hector Jr.) made a couple of hits in Valdosta (Ga.) right before the Gatornationals.”

During the break, Arana Sr. took advantage of time he wouldn’t normally have, but now that extra time is expiring.

“Oh man, it was awesome because we had time to do this and that,” Arana Sr. said. “Now, it’s July and we have to start putting everything back together. It’s hard to gauge where you are at now compared to when you’re racing. I just want to get back into the program of racing. You sit here and sit here, and it is like what do we do now?”  

The originally scheduled Gatornationals in March were going to be Arana Sr.’s final race driving. The Gators have been rescheduled for Sept. 25-27, but Arana Sr., isn’t going to compete in that race.

“Not there,” Arana Sr. “I want it to be nice weather where we can run fast and it is going to be muggy and hot and miserable and it will not be that fast there, so why would I run there? I don’t plan on running this season unless I have to.”

A year ago, Arana Jr. placed sixth in the points standings and Arana Sr. was 10th.

Arana Sr. has competed in 326 NHRA national events and has seven wins and 16 runner-up finishes.