According to NHRA.com, team owner Harry Lartigue was caught off guard by rider Craig Treble's announcement of departure from his Tigue Racing operation in order to ride for Don Schumacher Racing. He won't try to find a replacement and instead park his operation for the time being. The time could be permanent as he cited a close relationship with Treble.

Lartigue, who has tuned numerous riders to national event victories including Treble, Tony Mullen and Michael Phillips, currently has no plans to find a replacement.

"I'm done," said Lartigue. "There is nobody else that I want to put on the bike, especially on such short notice. It takes time to put a winning program together and I don't want to go to Indy just for the sake of being there. I want to have a chance to win the race. I'm very disappointed in Craig for not finishing the year with us. I had no idea this was going to happen. We had a slow start to the year but with the Countdown coming up, I was prepared to do anything we had to do in order to win a championship. I had six motors ready to go and if I had to put one in the bike every round in order to win the championship, I would have. I love Craig like a son but this is all very disappointing."