KRAWIEC KEEPS MOMENTUM GOING, TOPS PSM FIELD

Written by Larry Crum    Sun, 2020-11-01 16:55

 

Just one week after snapping a more than two-year winless drought with a win at the SpringNationals in Texas, Eddie Krawiec is again the toast of the town in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Limping through much of the first half of the season, Krawiec finally put it all together at Houston Raceway Park just six days ago with his first win since 2018. On Saturday, he continued that momentum with a spot atop the ladder at the Dodge NHRA Finals presented by Pennzoil at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“I think we are finally getting a handle on my motorcycle,” Krawiec said. “The first half of the year I wasn’t in a window with my bike. Then these last couple of races, I’ve been getting better and better and better. I didn’t have luck on my side for some of them, and that’s just the way the cards fall.

“With only having two qualifying runs and not having the opportunity to really go test as much, that’s what put us behind. As I got more runs, I started understanding more and more of what my bike liked and, thankfully, for the last three or four races, I’m kind of in that window going to the semis, finals, and winning.”

Krawiec raced to his second No. 1 qualifier of the season aboard his Harley-Davidson FXDR with a 6.818-second pass at 198.12 mph set during round one on Saturday. Krawiec came out guns ablazing and earned a new track record in the process as he collected the 48th top qualifier award of his career.

“My goal was to put my bike as high towards the front as I could get it,” Krawiec said. “I think the way we figured it, we’re just going to go out there and see how the chips fall. Me and Andrew (Hines) are just trying to get as many points as we can and keep going.”

After topping the field in Q1, Hines applied a little too much power for the track in the second session and had to shut it off, but said he learned a valuable lesson in the short run.

“In Q2 I tried to do a ‘let’s see what the track will hold’ and just tweak on some things and see,” Krawiec said. “I wanted to know where I need to be for tomorrow. I found my quick point and I’ll be good for tomorrow. I’m actually excited.”

Pro Stock Motorcycle championship leader Matt Smith qualified second on his Denso EBR with a 6.821 at 198.38 mph, continuing his impressive streak of having not qualified lower than third all season long.

Joey Gladstone is third on the ladder with a 6.893 at 195.56 mph, while Scotty Pollacheck (6.900) and Angie Smith (6.918) round out the top five.

Holding a sizable lead in the championship, if Smith can reach the semifinals on Sunday he will secure his fourth world championship. But it won’t be an easy road. Smith gets three-time world champion Angelle Sampey in round one and, if he advances, could potentially face Krawiec’s teammate Andrew Hines in round two.

Krawiec gets Cory Reed in round one on Sunday.

If Smith falters, it will open the door for Krawiec, Pollachek and others to compete for the title.

“I think you just have to go and race. If you start overthinking, you could put yourself in a bad situation,” Krawiec said. “For me, it’s a normal race. I’m just going out there with nothing to lose. That is the way I’m looking at it now. There’s still a big points deficit, but it has come down.

“Just look at last year in Pro Stock Motorcycle and the way it shook out. I’m just going to play it cool and go have a fun race.”

 

 

 

 

 

 
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