Hector Arana is a racer who never let the odds discourage him.

The Pro Stock Motorcycle rider from Milltown, Ind., raced for 18 seasons and 149 races before he won his first trophy.

Amidst an off-season where many of the experts said the Buell
combination didn’t stand a chance against the new engine combinations
of Harley-Davidson and Suzuki, Arana not only proved them wrong at the
Pro Stock Motorcycle season-opener in Gainesville, Fla., he did so with
an exclamation point.

Jason Line always prefers to win. He just prefers some methods over others.

The former Pro Stock world champion from Troutman, N.C., beat Mopar
front-runner Allen Johnson on a holeshot to win the NHRA ACDelco
Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., for the second time since 2008.

Winning on a hole shot doesn’t leave the technically oriented Line with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

“The driver side of me is happy that I won on a hole shot but the
engine builder side of me is upset that I had to win on a hole shot,”
Line admitted. “We struggled all weekend and Mike Edwards made us look
bad all weekend.”

Bob Tasca completed a dream weekend Sunday by racing to his first career victory at the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals.

Larry
Dixon, Jason Line and Hector Arana also were winners at the NHRA Full
Throttle Drag Racing Series event at historic Gainesville Raceway.

Tasca,
who earned his first No. 1 qualifying position on Saturday, finished
the job Sunday by powering his Motorcraft Quick Lane Ford Shelby
Mustang to a final-round performance of 4.200 seconds at 280.72 mph to
hold off defending Gatornationals winner Tony Pedregon, whose Q
Horsepower Chevy Impala trailed with a 4.536 at 210.90.

“I’m speechless,” said Tasca, who defeated Jim Head, Tim Wilkerson and John Force to advance to the final round.

Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following
the 40th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, the
third of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series

Sunday's final results from the 40th annual ACDelco NHRA
Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.  The race is the third of 24 in
the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series: 

Final round-by-round results from the 40th annual ACDelco NHRA
Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, the third of 24 events in the
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:

Mike Edwards has come to realize that every Pro Stock driver has to have a niche if they hope to have a fighting chance of competing.
 
For the former sportsman world champion from Broken Arrow, Okla., his
role is to be the driver who is able to make the most with the least,
while simultaneously fighting to keep his place in the game, against
many of the higher financed operations. To that end, Edwards and
partner Roger Stull, a successful businessman, have invested their
money wisely creating a team that can run with the best the class has
to offer.
 
Edwards drove his way to his second consecutive pole position in 2009,
improving on a Friday run at the NHRA ACDelco Gatornationals that he
deemed beatable by everyone but himself.
 

Bob Tasca III had a vision fifteen months ago and he wanted Chris Cunningham to buy into the concept.
 
Tasca, then a Top Alcohol Funny Car standout, wanted Chris Cunningham,
an up-and-coming tuner then employed with Del Worsham, to see his
vision and join Tasca's quest to go NHRA nitro Funny Car racing.
 
Tasca carried on the phone conversation while standing in the bathroom of his Cranston, Rhode Island home.
 
He had no parts.
 
He had no employees.

Nothing leaves a good first impression on the boss like the new employee landing atop the qualifying list at his first race.

Just ask Matt Smith who maintained the No. 1 spot he earned in Friday's
Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying rounds through two Saturday sessions to
claim his first No. 1 qualifier for Don Schumacher Racing, his first at
the Gatornationals, and the 15th of his career.

Smith posted his quickest pass, a 6.945, 189.44, right out of the box
on Friday, then followed that up with a 7.051,183.92 and the only
six-second run on Saturday under warmer conditions, a 6.999/186.61 in
the third session.

"This thing is a rocket ship," he said at the top end. "I'm excited to be on it.

Tim Wilkerson might be on the verge of gaining the momentum he’s needed
to replicate 2008’s success. A No. 8 effort at this weekend's NHRA Gatornationals, though in the middle of a
stout Funny Car, might just be the break he’s needed.