Eddie Krawiec finally put an embarrassing stat to rest Sunday evening during the Pro Stock Motorcycle final round at the NHRA Summit Southern Nationals in Atlanta Dragway.

The Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson-sponsored, Vance & Hines rider from Brownsburg, Ind., was the only NHRA Full Throttle world champion in competition who had not won a national event title. Krawiec’s victory over rookie NHRA rider Douglas Horne returns 1970s Top Fuel racer Rob Bruins as the only winless world champion.

Eddie Krawiec finally put an embarrassing stat to rest Sunday evening during the Pro Stock Motorcycle final round at the NHRA Summit Southern Nationals in Atlanta Dragway.

The Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson-sponsored, Vance & Hines rider from Brownsburg, Ind., was the only NHRA Full Throttle world champion in competition who had not won a national event title. Krawiec’s victory over rookie NHRA rider Douglas Horne returns 1970s Top Fuel racer Rob Bruins as the only winless world champion.

“His crew chief actually came up to me,” Krawiec said of a chance encounter with Bruins’ crew chief Sunday evening. “He told me, ‘Congratulations and I hate you.' He was joking. It was great to meet the man who was with him to do that. I still think it was special to be one of only two people who have won a championship without a race win.”

Krawiec raced all weekend as if he were a win waiting to happen.

In qualifying, Krawiec and teammate Andrew Hines established themselves as the team to beat from the second session of qualifying. Hines and Krawiec were one-two in the qualifying order and never relented from the position.

“I’d say we had good bikes but to say we dominated is a bold statement,” Krawiec said. “Matt Smith ran well and there are four or five bikes in the pits that can run well. We made good runs when we had to and had a consistent bike all weekend. Our main focus is to go out there on Sunday and make laps down the track. That’s obviously how we won that championship.”

Krawiec said in a post-race press conference that he didn’t feel any pressure to go out and win.

“To me, I just wanted to go out there and make another lap,” Krawiec said. “That’s something that I learned last season. I went out there with the attitude that whatever was going to happen – was going to happen. That’s my mentality going to the starting line now. I didn’t put any undue pressure on myself.”

Getting the first win was a dream come true for Krawiec who defeated L.E. Tonglet, Matt Guidera and Matt Smith en route to the final round match with Horne.

“This is something that I have been waiting for … to get that first Wally and put it on my mantle,” Krawiec said. “Being out here racing is an opportunity I am just grateful for the opportunity to be out here.” 

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