The start couldn’t have been much better for Jerry Savoie’s White Alligator Racing Pro Stock Motorcycle team.

Savoie’s teammate Karen Stoffer won the Gatornationals, the season-opening race for NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle riders, March 10-13 in Gainesville, Fla.

Moreover, Stoffer won in record-breaking fashion as she ran the two quickest elapsed times in NHRA’s storied Pro Stock Motorcycle history.

In round one, she initially set the E.T. world record with a 6.682-second pass and then she lowered the record to a blistering 6.665 seconds in round two.

Savoie made it to the semifinals before he slowed and lost to Stoffer.

Some outsiders might have been surprised by the performance of WAR, especially Stoffer, but not Savoie.

“The conditions were really good, and we expected to go in the 60s,” Savoie told CompetitionPlus.com. But to go in the 60s (that many) passes is impressive. You can bounce in and out, but to do it consecutively, that's a very strong statement. I think some of the other teams could have maybe done some of that, but they just missed it.”

Savoie also is upbeat his motorcycle will be even better at the Pro Stock Motorcycle racers next event – the SpringNationals April 22-24 in Houston.

“My bike had some issues again, and we pretty much figured it out,” Savoie said. “And we ordered a few parts, and we should be really, really fast in Houston.”

Savoie was quick to credit one his fellow competitors for Stoffer’s elapsed times in Gainesville.

“Well, first off, Andrew Hines designed one hell of a four-valve head,” Savoie said. “It just took a little bit tweaking and figuring out what this thing really wanted. (Crew chief) Tim (Kulungian), about three quarter way through the season last year, kind of stumbled on a few things. Karen ran really well the end of the season. And I never really got to race because of the hurricane (Huricane Ida, last fall in Louisiana). But the more time we put on my bike now, the better we're going to be. So, I think that the team is really, really going to excel and the team is really going to do good throughout the season.”

Savoie, who won NHRA’s 2016 Pro Stock Motorcycle world championship, have talked about retired from the sport as recent as last season, but is now more rejuvenated.

“When you're out there you want to win,” Savoie said. “If we have the bike to do it, and I'm mentally capable of doing it, then sure. It would be nice if we would be one and two. But it's just one race. Well, I had time off last year even though I worked my butt off with the hurricane. 

“It gave me some time to take a break away from racing a little bit. But I'm more confident because, like I said, my team worked hard over the winter. We got some fast stuff. This is just the beginning.”

There was a time – not long ago – Vance & Hines’ Harley Davidson were dominating the PSM competition, but now it appears Suzukis may be the class of the class.

“Well, think about it,” Savoie said. “Matt Smith didn't race his bike (his Buell he won the world championship on the last two years), and the Harleys are not in the picture. So, it's going to be a lot of Suzukis. But Matt's got some good stuff. Don't let him fool you. He's going to run everything we ran. I do believe it.”

Savoie doesn’t see Pro Stock Motorcycles running in the 60s as common place, but he does believe there will be more of those numbers this season.

“Probably by the end of the year, before it's over, you'll see a couple of bikes pop in and out of the 60s again,” Savoie said. “Houston being pretty much zero elevation, it's going to be fast.”