As far as the points standings are concerned, the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season is going perfectly fine for Pro Stock Motorcycle standout Eddie Krawiec.
Heading back to his home track for the 46th annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals, June 4-7, at venerable Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, the three-time world champion is the points leader after advancing to the final round at each of the first three events.
With Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammate and reigning world champion Andrew Hines in second, things couldn’t be much better. The only thing Krawiec is looking for is his first victory of the season as the NHRA heads to the Northeast for the first time this season.
“We’re 1 and 2 in the points, and that’s definitely a good thing,” Krawiec said. “But now we have to maintain it. The goal is to be consistent and go rounds, and for me, personally, we’ve done that at all three races. But I feel like I’ve lost a Wally twice due to parts failures. [In Atlanta], I was on my way and pulling away when just another miscellaneous piece broke. But it’s an endurance race now.”
Richie Crampton (Top Fuel), Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock), and Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the event that will once again be televised nationally on ESPN2. It is the fourth of 16 events for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class and one of the premier events on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing circuit. That is especially true for the Bayonne, N.J., native, who has many fond memories of racing at the revered facility, including his Pro Stock Motorcycle win there in 2012.
It’s Krawiec’s lone victory at the facility – he has advanced to three final rounds at the famed track where he once served as dragstrip manager, including a year ago – but the added pressures of racing at home hasn’t seemed to affect the longtime standout. That balance of entertaining friends and family while getting focused on racing can be challenging, but Krawiec knows the task at hand every time he returns to Raceway Park, as it’s known by locals.
“I look forward to it, and it’s always great to go back,” Krawiec said. “It’s good to see friends and family you don’t see all the time, and I look forward to it. What’s really hard is managing your free time versus racing time. I’m going back there to race and my job is to try and win. You want to be focused and you want to win, but you still want to say hello to everyone.”
The winning part has been a big part of Krawiec’s career as he has claimed the Wally on 27 occasions, including five times last year. It has been a different story in 2015, as Krawiec has lost final rounds to Karen Stoffer, Hines, and Hector Arana Sr. in Atlanta.
More than anything, it might serve as a nod to a talented class that is solidified by plenty of depth thanks to standouts like former Englishtown winners Matt Smith, Angelle Sampey, Shawn Gann, and Michael Ray, as well as Hector Arana Jr., LE Tonglet, and Scotty Pollacheck.
“I think the class as a whole has a lot of great competitors,” Krawiec said. “All of the brands are competitive, and you can’t ask for much more than that. It definitely makes for a fun and exciting year.”
What helps Krawiec and Hines is an intensely focused dedication to success from the moment the race weekend starts to the final round in eliminations. Englishtown can play host to incredible times and speeds, but Krawiec said his primary mission is geared toward making steady improvement and going rounds.
“The only thing you can go in with the mindset of is leaving with the Wally and four win lights,” Krawiec said. “We have years of research and data from every event, and it allows us to put together a database. Other than that, we’re not losing many runs, and that’s something we take a lot of pride in. Every time you go down the track, you learn something, and if you make all four runs and can better your e.t., you’re doing well. To be able to go down the track every time, that’s really good and is part of what has helped make us successful.”
In Top Fuel, Crampton claimed his first win in Englishtown last year, becoming the 100th different driver to win in the category. Three-time Top Fuel world champ Larry Dixon is tied for the most wins in Englishtown, and other standouts include Doug Kalitta, who won in 2000 and 2003, eight-time and defending world champ Tony Schumacher, 2013 winner Shawn Langdon, 2011 winner Spencer Massey, 2012 winner Steve Torrence, J.R. Todd, Brittany Force, and Antron Brown.
Cruz Pedregon, who has three wins at the event, dominated the weekend in Englishtown last season in Funny Car, qualifying No. 1 in his Snap-on Tools Toyota Camry and storming to the event win over fellow Toyota driver Del Worsham. Four of John Force’s record 142 victories have come in New Jersey, but he hasn’t won the event since 1999. Two-time and defending world champ Matt Hagan has enjoyed success in Englishtown, winning the event in 2013, and other class stars are current series leader Ron Capps, Tommy Johnson Jr., Alexis DeJoria, Courtney Force, Robert Hight, Jack Beckman, and Tim Wilkerson.
In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson leads the 200-mph category with five wins at Raceway Park, and teammate Jason Line has three victories in New Jersey. Defending world champ and points leader Erica Enders is looking to add the Toyota NHRA Summernationals to her career victory total, and 2011 winner Allen Johnson, 1994 winner and Charlotte winner Larry Morgan, Las Vegas runner-up Vincent Nobile, Houston runner-up Chris McGaha, Shane Gray, and Jonathan Gray also figure to be major players in the ultra-competitive factory hot rod class.
The NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series will hit the track for its fourth race of the 2015 season. The Toyota NHRA Summernationals also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, where the future stars of the sport earn their racing stripes.
As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.
Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, June 5, with sessions at 4 and 6:15 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, June 6, at 12:45 and 3:15 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, June 7.
