The 2020 season was Ryan Oehler’s best-to-date in his NHRA career.

Oehler, campaigning an Erik Buell Racing motorcycle, finished seventh in the 2020 points standings, highlighted by winning Indy 1 and a runner-up performance in Houston.

Oehler has an EBR body he purchased from Hector Arana Sr. that he runs on his motorcycle.

This offseason, there has been plenty of talk and stories written about the changes ahead for the 2021 season for the PSM class. Angelle Sampey will ride one of the new 4-valve Harley-Davidsons while Vance & Hines recently gained approval for the VH160 engine platform, essentially a rebrand of their exclusive former Harley-Davidson program. 

Oehler prefers to first see how everything plays out.

“When the rules start to change it allows for performance advantages to go a different direction,” Oehler said. “It is just part of the sport. They do not call it Pro for nothing. Let’s see what happens. If the Suzuki four-valve by Vance & Hines runs a tenth quicker there needs to be a rule change to either allow to put weight on them or take weight off us.

“That’s what NHRA has always done to make it fair. I think NHRA does a fantastic job keeping the class even and competitive. It is the most diverse class. When you have a 114-inch Suzuki racing a 160-inch V-Twin and you have changes in body, and you have changes in fuel. They not going to let anyone, they never have, runaway with it. They keep it competitive.”

Oehler said he does believe what’s available for Vance & Hines to use should be available for all the competitors in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class. Tim Hailey’s eatmyink.com, a website specializing in motorcycle drag racing, confirmed in a report that Cory Reed and Joey Gladstone should have the first of the VH160 V-twin bikes by April. - RELATED LINK 

“I understand that people see it as it is difficult to swallow the fact that you are in a group of people who you are trying to beat and someone has something you don’t have and that does make it unfair,” Oehler said. “That’s been probably the biggest problem all along.”

Oehler acknowledged trying to compete against an elite team like Vance & Hines is an uphill battle.

“I have been playing catch up since I got involved with this class,” said Oehler, whose first full-time season in PSM was 2018 when he finished 13th in the world standings. “I am definitely one of the very few people who have ever come into this class without using (Vance & Hines) as a resource. Tell me one other person who came into the class that did not lease a motor from Vance & Hines or didn’t lease a motorcycle from Matt Smith and finish in the top 10 in just a couple of years of being out there. I am unique because we build our own stuff, so I’m not at the mercy of anyone else. I have always given credit to Vance & Hines because you can’t beat down on someone because they have the resources. 

“You can’t discredit them because they have the experience. They are just that good. Because like anyone in any trade they have been at it longer than all of us and they have had great backing. How do you look at a team with that much professionalism and be mad that they are beating you? It just makes you want to beat them even more.”

Meet the new boss. He's the same as the old boss. At least, this is how four-time NHRA champion Matt Smith sees it. He couldn't care less if his fellow racers speak out about what he deems as unfair enforcement of procedures. #DragRacingNews - https://t.co/ycZIQAkvCZ pic.twitter.com/rKH7CQFLCm

— Competition Plus (@competitionplus) February 9, 2021