Since NHRA’s six race Countdown to the Championship began, the Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson team of Eddie Krawiec and Andrew Hines has not been on top of its game.

Krawiec and Hines are perennial world champions, with Krawiec being the reigning world champion. Yet, when Krawiec and Hines arrived at the NHRA FallNationals, the third race of the Countdown, they were third and fifth in the standings and 41 and 62 points behind points leader Matt Smith.

Krawiec did his best to chip away at Smith’s lead by qualifying No. 1 with his 6.873-second lap at 196.07 mph on Saturday.

This is Krawiec’s 42nd career No. 1 qualifying spot and his second this season with the others coming at Denver and Sonoma, Calif.

“I got pretty excited,” Krawiec said. “I rolled under the tower and I heard Alan Reinhart say 'I think the field is pretty set', but I was fortunate enough in Q3 to move to the pole. I made a good, clean run that pass. We had a great tune-up in the motorcycle and we have been getting better each session with my bike. What I mean is running better ETs, picking away at it a little bit at a time. Our biggest weakness as of late has been where we have been struggling on Sunday where it just turns around and gets hotter and hotter. I think we have nipped that in the bud and moved in the right direction.”

Krawiec takes on Anthony Vanetti in round one.

“I’m excited for race day,” Krawiec said. “I have a good motorcycle under me and that’s all I could ask for right now. We have some really good, close competition in the class. There are probably four or five bikes that could be sitting on this pole at anytime so to be the one up here is great for us and Harley-Davidson.”

While Krawiec is No. 1 on the qualifying ladder, Hines is No. 12 with a 6.950-second lap at 194.97 mph.

“I would love to tell you I know the secret behind what it is, but were kind of picking away at it,” Krawiec said. “The bike is being difficult. I think there’s probably a little gremlin. We are back there changing everything electrical on that bike for (Sunday). We are going to try and rule out every single thing and if the bike picks up, then we have a whole pile of scrap, because man trying to diagnose where it comes from and what slowed you down is not even worth it. We are looking to improve (Andrew’s) bike for (Sunday) and obviously there are some marquee match-ups in that as well.”

Hines faces LE Tonglet in round one. Krawiec has three career wins at this event and two in a row.

“I’m going to have to get a bigger hat rack I guess,” Krawiec said. “I love getting cowboy hats. By no means am I cowboy, but man I like wearing those hats.”