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2013 NHRA: Another Arana Prepped For Pro Stock Motorcycle Debut
Adam Arana is more than ready.
The ProtectTheHarvest.com Buell rider will make his Pro Stock Motorcycle debut in this weekend's 44th annual NHRA Gatornationals at Auto Plus Raceway, following in the footsteps of his championship-winning dad and older brother.
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"Mentally, I'm ready," Adam Arana said. "For sure, after I did some testing on Monday, I feel pretty confident heading to Gainesville."
Arana is part of the three-bike team of 2009 Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Hector Arana Sr. and 2011 Rookie of the Year Hector Arana Jr. Their experience has helped the 21-year-old Adam prepare for the season, and his expectations are high.
"I think I'll get the feel for it pretty quick, especially in qualifying," Arana said. "Race day is different because you have pressure that's not there in qualifying. I want to do well no matter what but in the back of my mind, I'll be thinking, 'Rookie of the year, rookie of the year, rookie of the year.'"
That's the Auto Club Road to the Future Award, though Arana knows he will have tough competition this season, especially from the Force family. Brittany Force is a rookie in the Top Fuel class, so Arana knows he'll have to be on top of his game from Gainesville on to merit attention.
"I know Brittany Force and a bunch of other talented drivers are going for rookie of the year, so I'm a little nervous about that," Arana said. "I hope the Force name isn't too big to overcome and I can get rookie of the year like my brother did.
"Every race counts. Ultimately, the best result would be to win Gainesville, but realistically, I'd like to advance one or two rounds. I think that would be a pretty good start to get some experience and build on that for the next race."
The team has been working overtime the last few weeks, preparing three bikes for the season-opener.
"We're putting in 70 hours a week, 10-12 hours a day for the past month," Arana said.
Arana tested in Valdosta, Ga., Monday before flying home to Indiana Tuesday morning to attend college. He returns to Orlando, Fla., Thursday night before driving to Gainesville. And next week, Arana and his brother will travel to Sonoma, Calif., to participate in the NHRA Tour de Charity for Sonoma Raceway.
"My frequent-flier miles will be piling up," Arana said.
But first, Arana's focus will be on Gainesville. He'll be riding the bike his dad used in 2012, with the engine "Abigail" installed. The powerplant is named after Adam's younger sister.
"Abigail, she's fast," Arana said. "All the engines have some power in them, so we should come out swinging in Gainesville."
PaddockTalk Perspective
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