Veteran Angelle Sampey won Pro Stock Motorcycle championships in 2000-02. She hasn’t lost a step in the two decades that have followed.

Sampey, aboard her Vance & Hines Suzuki, took the No. 1 qualifying spot with a 6.796-second elapsed time at 199.88 mph. Sampey made the blistering pass during Q2 Saturday afternoon at the NHRA U.S. Nationals, and it held through Q5 Sunday afternoon.

This is Sampey’s 57th No. 1 qualifying spot of her decorated career and fourth of the season. This is also the seventh time she has been the No. 1 qualifier in Indy.

“That’s amazing and seven happens to be my favorite number,” Sampey said. “This is an outstanding accomplishment. I have been surrounded by
wonderful people my whole career – that’s the way I have done it. It definitely was not me, it is the teams I have been with, and this is the ultimate team that I’m with. I’m just so excited to finally be a part of Vance & Hines. We have a whole package of motorsports people always surrounding us, and Mission sponsor loves motorsports and of course we are back at Suzuki.

“With Vance & Hines, Terry and Byron and Andrew and Eddie (Krawiec) and all the guys back at the shop, it is expected for me to do well. If I don’t do well, I put a lot of pressure on myself because I know I’m the one who made the mistakes, and fortunately I drove a little better this weekend.”

Sampey faces Ron Tornow in round one.

“I feel confident going into (Monday),” Sampey said. “I know Matt (Smith) is gunning for me, and I know Eddie has the power to take it. But I’m going to hold on as best I can. I keep saying I’m being greedy, but I feel like I have to say that. I have to tell myself it is OK to want it all. I think sometimes when you get No. 1 qualifier you start worrying about whether you can seal the deal. You know what, I’m going to give it all I have, and I’m going to be greedy. I want it all.”

Because he was ill, tuner Andrew Hines wasn’t at the U.S. Nationals until Sunday. He had been tuning the team’s bikes remotely Friday and Saturday.

“He’s back on-site with us which is amazing for me,” Sampey said. “I didn’t know how much I was going to miss him not having him on the race track with me. He did such a fantastic job tuning that motorcycle to a ‘79’ from his house. We did it over FaceTime and we were running the computer back and forth to him, sending him videos and he was watching NHRA TV. I think he had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to do to the motorcycle. It was pretty cool to see what he was capable of doing with not being here.”

Sampey won Indy in 2001-02 and would love to add No. 3. If she does, she will have the opportunity to move from second to first in the points. She trails Joey Gladstone by 64 points.

“I would love to the points lead going into the Countdown, but I’m being very honest when I say this to you, I really just want to win the race,” Sampey said. “That’s how I am all the time, and sometimes I want to win a little too much. What I want to do is try and win each round and the points come and you will get the championship. I’ve learned it in my 26 years that thinking way ahead of yourself can be very dangerous in this sport.”