Englishtown's Krawiec off to a very fast start
Reaches semifinals in first weekend with new NHRA team

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson team can breathe a little easier on race days from now on.

Not only does the team have three-time NHRA POWERade champion Andrew Hines on their side, but the new guy's not bad either.

Eddie Krawiec, an Englishtown resident and native, and the track manager at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, not only qualified for his first NHRA national event, but he went rounds, too. The newest member of the Screamin' Eagle Pro Stock Motorcycle group made the most of his first weekend on the team.

Krawiec earned two round wins Sunday at the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Krawiec beat Paul Gast in the opening round of eliminations with a 7.150-second pass at 180.24 mph after Gast fouled at the starting line. In round two, Krawiec beat Matt Guidera with a 7.243 at 175.46 over Guidera's 7.620 at 140.09 on his Rocklin Harley-Davidson Buell.

Krawiec then lost in the semifinals when Matt Smith recorded a 6.921 run at 190.22 on his Torco Racing Fuels Buell to cover Krawiec's 7.058 at 187.83.

"I could not have asked for anything more this weekend," Krawiec said. "My goals coming into the season opener were to qualify well and win one round. Going to the semifinals in my debut with the team is incredible. The crew made it possible."

Krawiec said the team made everything look easy this weekend.

"We had to do a lot of maintenance on the bike between the first and second round, and they made it look routine," Krawiec said. "It stressed me out a little bit because I had not been in that position before, but the teamwork here just helped me get ready for the round. Knowing [team owner] Byron Hines and [crew chief] Matt Hines were working on the bike just gave me confidence as we went along. I would have never been in the semifinals without those guys standing behind me and supporting me."

Harley-Davidson racing manager Anne Paluso said she was impressed with the way the team made a new rider look like he'd been there before.

"It was a great season and career-opening event for Eddie," Paluso said. "The team had multiple challenges thrown at them this weekend and they responded very well. Eddie was in the semifinals of his first event and ran consistently well in qualifying."

Before Saturday, Krawiec's career-best elapsed time on a Pro Stock Motorcycle was a 7.254 pass at 186.02. That was before Krawiec turned in a 6.948 pass at 191.02 in qualifying to improve those career-best numbers and earn the No. 7 spot for eliminations.

Eddie Krawiec weekend results:

Q1: 7.042 seconds at 189.04 mph

Q2: 7.015 at 190.65

Q3: 6.948 at 191.02

Q4: 6.988 at 191.32

R1: 7.150 at 180.24

R2: 7.243 at 175.46

R3: 7.058 at 187.83

The Screamin' Eagle/Vance & Hines Pro Stock Motorcycle team is sponsored by Ford Truck, Dunlop, Matco Tools and S100.