PSM CHANGES ASIDE, SCOTTY POLLACHECK HAS STRONG OUTING AT GATORS

by Tracy Renck    Fri, 2021-03-19 09:12

 

There was plenty of talk and plenty written about the expected changes in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class in NHRA’s Camping World Series in 2021.

There was change at the season-opening AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway March 12-14.

By the weekend’s conclusion, it was more of the same.

World champion Matt Smith was the race winner and his Matt Smith Racing team also had a strong outing as one of his teammates – Scotty Pollacheck - advanced to the semifinals before losing to Ryan Oehler.

“Last year was incredible,” Poillacheck said. “It was our best year ever and you always worry about what’s happening next and all that kind of stuff because things always change and there are new rules. So, it was definitely a good way to start the season running well and going some rounds. We had an unfortunate deal in the semis, or it could have easily been an all-MSR final.”

Pollacheck said his Gen 2 Erik Buell Racing motorcycle had an oil pressure problem in the semifinals.

Pollacheck had a season to remember in 2020. The veteran Pro Stock Motorcycle racer finished a career-best third in the NHRA season points standings and won his inaugural national event title, capturing the crown at the Denso U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis in September.

“Michael Ray oversees stuff and Matt is tuning like always and we basically brought everybody back and kind of picked up where we left off and I can’t thank my sponsors Denso and Strutmasters enough,” Pollacheck said.

At the Gators, Angelle Sampey, competing for the Vance & Hines team and NHRA's winningest female racer, debuted the new four-valve Suzuki-powered Pro Stock Motorcycle. 

Sampey qualified No. 1 with a blistering 6.742-second pass at 200,00 mph, but those numbers didn’t matter to Pollacheck when he matched up with Sampey in round two.

Pollacheck, with a holeshot, upset Sampey. Pollacheck clocked a slower 6.831-second pass at 197.13 mph while Sampey came in at 6.820 seconds at 196.27 mph.

The difference was at the starting line. Pollacheck cut a nearly perfect 0.002 light compared to Sampey’s 0.015 reaction time.

“I don’t think anybody caught up to Angelle because she went 76 in the first round,” Pollacheck said. “We weren’t surprised at all at how fast she was running. We were all down in Bradenton (Fla.) testing and Monday (before the Gators) was the first time her bike had been down the track and by the time we left testing we already knew how fast that thing was. They are only going to get better. Those things are brand new and they only have a handful of runs.

“It’s like a new ballgame every time you show up at a race. Anybody can jump up and be No. 1 qualifier and go rounds, especially on Sunday. Sunday is always a toss-up. You never know what’s going to happen and anything is possible. Every time you pull up there to race somebody you have to focus on that and nothing else. You have to focus on the job you’re doing at that particular moment. There are a lot of things that are going on and you have to stay focused on what you’re doing.”

Next for Pollacheck is the Denso Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. April 16-18.

“I love Vegas,” Pollacheck said. “I like the Four-Wide stuff. We have been doing that for quite a while now and it is fun and different. It makes you think, that’s for sure. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to do. It is all about staging and you have to be ultra-focused because there’s more stuff to watch and pay attention to. You have to be ready for all the wild stuff that happens. It’s fun.”

 

 

 

 
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