Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson Dominate NHRA U.S. Nationals

Harley-Davidson Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Eddie Krawiec prepares for a championship run by besting the competition in Indy.

Harley-Davidson rolled into the 2017 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle season with high hopes and a brand new ride. But despite dealing with the nagging issues of a new drag bike, it’s safe to say that things are going rather well so far. Especially after Eddie Krawiec dominated the competition en route to his third win of the season at the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.

Krawiec kicked off his perfect weekend by recording the fastest qualifying time of any racer with a 6.822-second e.t. He followed up that feat by blasting off a 6.842-second run at 196.56 mph in round one of eliminations. Krawiec continued to charge through all comers before scoring his 3rd win of the season in what the NHRA calls “the world’s biggest drag race.”

“We had a great motorcycle all weekend long,” Krawiec told NHRA.com after the race. “We just needed to keep finessing it and get it better and better and better. I couldn’t be prouder of my crew that I got right now; everybody that puts forth the effort in our program. It’s been nonstop the last two weeks at our shop and for it all to come together and to celebrate here having half of our shop here, it’s just something special.”

The three-time world champion wasn’t the only Harley-Davidson rider to taste success in Indy, however. Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines rider Andrew Hines qualified second with a 6.825-second e.t. He made it to the second round of eliminations, posting a top speed of 197.22 mph along the way – the fastest of the weekend.

Both Krawiec and Hines locked up spots in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs in the process. Krawiec currently sits second in the points race, while five-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Hines is seeded sixth. The playoffs commence Sept. 15-17 at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, North Carolina, kicking off a six-race duel for the 2017 championship.

Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

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