Eddie Krawiec said after Friday's lone qualifying session at the Automobile Club of Southern California Finals that he "really didn't think it was that good of a run, to be honest with you."
 
But his 6.865-second blast down the Auto Club Raceway quarter-mile aboard his Vance & Hines Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rod rewrote the Pro Stock Motorcycle track record.
 
With that, he grabbed the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot from Hector Arana. The final two qualifying sessions are scheduled for Saturday.

Eddie Krawiec said after Friday's lone qualifying session at the Automobile Club of Southern California Finals that he "really didn't think it was that good of a run, to be honest with you."
 
But his 6.865-second blast down the Auto Club Raceway quarter-mile aboard his Vance & Hines Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rod rewrote the Pro Stock Motorcycle track record.
 
With that, he grabbed the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot from Hector Arana. The final two qualifying sessions are scheduled for Saturday.
 
Arana's consolation was that his 194.35-mph speed Friday on the Lucas Oil Buell held up as the fastest in the class so far this weekend.
 
"I think we learned something there, because we didn't touch my bike from yesterday," Krawec said. "We wanted to see if it would go out there and repeat. It didn't only repeat -- it actually picked up a little bit."
 
The three bonus points Krawiec gained Friday helped stave off challengers to teammate and points leader Andrew Hines, who earned another point in his effort to keep championship-minded LE Tonglet at bay.  
 
"Those three points are pretty valuable -- also to me," Krawiec said. "I'm fighting right now with Matt Smith for the No. 3 spot. Matt's five points [ahead of] us. If I can get it to one point ahead of him, no matter what, if I go out the same round as him that wouldn't stop me from being No. 3."
 
Krawiec said his early incremental numbers told the tale.
 
"Yesterday we didn’t have the greatest 60-foot (incremental time)," he said of his 1.096-second clocking Thursday." His early incremental Friday improved to 1.077 seconds, "which," he said, "translates into better numbers."
 
It translates, too, to a better chance to reach his third straight final round at this race.
 
"I was here last year fighting for the championship and lost by two points but won the event. The year before that, I was here fighting for the championship --didn't win the event but won the championship. I lost in the final," Karawiec said.
 
"Pomona's treated me really well. I'd like to make it three consecutive years in the final. Hopefully, it's against my teammate. We can go out there and put on a good show for all our Harley-Davidson fans."
 
No matter whether he can claim a championship, he said he maintains a winner's mentality.
 
"You don't treat it any different. I try to go to every single race and go there to win," he said. "If you go with the mentality that you might win or you might not win, that's not the way to come out of the trailer. I plan on winning every single race I attend."
 
The new body design on his motorcycle definitely has been a winner.
 
"This is the first time in a long time, probably about six years, that Harley-Davidson did a limited-edition bike. We have an olive-green Harley-Davidson V-Rod to commemorate all our soldiers and all our military guys who are out there fighting for our freedom. It's just great to have that in the No. 1 spot," Krawiec said.
 
He said the bike theme is a tribute not to any one branch of service but "for everybody out there that fights in the military. The bike's done up as '50s or '60s fighter jet, with the rivets all over it. All it's missing is the pin-up girl," he said.
 
"It's a pretty exciting deal. I'm happy to be part of it," he said. "I have all these soldiers coming up to us that were here yesterday and in the pits today, really thanking us in appreciation for what they do for us. We have our own website. It's www.h-d.com/thankyou. We've had a lot of great feedback."
 
Krawiec said the bike and Pro Stock classes had ideal weather.
 
"Here at Pomona, we're not used to these great weather conditions. We have killer circumstances for naturally aspirated vehicles. It's reflecting, between Pro Stock Motorcycle and Pro Stock Car," he said.
 
Arana will be second and Hines third overnight. Hines said he should continue to perform well on his Harley-Davidson, as well, this weekend and earn his fourth series crown -- "if we keep our heads out of our butts." Matt Smith and Jim Underdahl round out the top five.
 
Tonglet improved from 23rd and dead-last Thursday to sixth place with a 6.943 / 189.31 on his Nitro Fish Suzuki. While that was a monster leap into the upper half of the field, it gained him no bonus points, while Hines has accumulated three to pad his advantage from 34 to 37 so far this weekend.

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