PSM OWNER/DRIVER RYAN OEHLER TO ADD TEAMMATE IN 2021

by Tracy Renck    Mon, 2020-12-21 15:17

 

In the uncertain season that was the 2020 NHRA season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pro Stock Motorcycle Ryan Oehler plowed ahead.

Oehler, campaigning an Erik Buell Racing motorcycle, finished a career-best seventh in the points standings, highlighted by winning Indy 1 and a runner-up performance in Houston.

“We are absolutely ready to race and win a championship next year,” Oehler said. “It has taken this long and this much work to get to a point where we honestly feel like we are a championship contender.”

Oehler most recently competed in the Man Cup presented by Vance & Hines 44th annual FuelTech World Finals at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Adel, Nov. 20-22.

“My overall confidence and comfortability on the bike has really made a major transformation in the last few years,” said Oehler, who was competing in a Pro Stock class at the Man Cup. “When I line up now on the line, I feel very confident in my machine and that I can beat whoever is in the other lane. Now, there’s an opportunity with three Harleys that will not be racing, I really think I can go win a championship next year.

We are working toward that every day. We are working towards our engine program. We are working towards making more power. We have two bikes now and we will probably have two full bikes in competition next year.”

Oehler couldn’t disclose who his teammate would be in 2021, but he did offer this statement.

“It will be a seasoned veteran and the bike has brand-new EBR body work and it will have an ‘A’ motor in it,” Oehler said. “I think the bike will end up being faster than my bike because the bike is pretty virgin. It hasn’t been used and abused like mine for many, many years. It is a bike with less miles and we are definitely on planning on having two bikes starting off in Gainesville (Fla.).”

The 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule, starts for all the pro classes at the 52nd annual Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, March 12-14.

“Initially we were going to test in January, but we hurt a few motors while we were in South Georgia at the Man Cup Series,” Oehler said. “We are on the rebuilding process and fixing it all and I don’t want to come out with anything marginal. I want to come out with everything new, fresh so that I don’t have a rod break because I didn’t know how many runs it had on it.

“It’s going to be exciting (to have a teammate) especially since it is going to be a top-caliber rider who is going to give me good data and give us the ability to work two different tune-ups and see what one will perform the best.”

Oehler has the following viewpoint on the upcoming season.

“I’m never going to be the guy who says I’m going to be at all 16 races next year,” he said. “I look at every race individually even though I’m planning to run every race. I still focus on the first one and the first one is the Gatornationals, and I will be at the Gatornationals and I will be ready to win and I will have teammate there on a second bike.”

Oehler competed in a full season in 2018, finishing 13th in the points standings. He followed that up with an eighth-place finish in 2019, highlighted by a semifinal performance in Charlotte, N.C., in the spring.

 

 

 

 
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