EDDIE KRAWIEC – NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
So quickly and so
suddenly, Eddie Krawiec’s professional drag bike racing career shifted into
high gear.
Even he admits he didn’t fully see it coming. The past few months have been a whirlwind combination of drastic changes and high-impact decisions, catching the young driver somewhat off guard.
“Whoever they decided to go with, whoever they picked, their life would change,” he said of his call-up to the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks. “I’m trying to be the same person … but in the end, it’s been a big change.
“It really has started to sink in a little bit right now.”
The newest member of the Vance & Hines team hits the ground running…
So quickly and so suddenly, Eddie Krawiec’s professional drag bike racing career shifted into high gear.
Even he admits he didn’t fully see it coming. The past few months have been a whirlwind combination of drastic changes and high-impact decisions, catching the young driver somewhat off guard.
“Whoever they decided to go with, whoever they picked, their life would change,” he said of his call-up to the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks. “I’m trying to be the same person … but in the end, it’s been a big change.
“It really has started to sink in a little bit right now.”
A former privateer, Krawiec got the call and the opportunity to fulfill a dream by hooking up with a major-league Pro Stock Motorcycle outfit on the Powerade Drag Racing Series. In February, the New Jersey native was hired to join three-time defending series champion Andrew Hines on the two-bike Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson factory team.
For the 30-year-old Krawiec, this season represents his first fully committed NHRA foray on two wheels.
He survived the interview process and auditions in a field of four to get the job. His visit to Indianapolis for the selection process required his first-ever trip on an airplane.
“This is something I’ve been after for a long time,” said Krawiec, a successful former AMA Prostar series racer who has worked at and managed the historic Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J., for the past several years. “I’ve dabbled with drag racing for a long time and I hope my past experience is going to help make the transition smooth.”
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So far, so good.
He made a good impression
when the Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors made their season debut at
Gainesville, Fla., on March 15-18. He delivered two six-second runs and
qualified seventh in a furious field of 16. The 38th ACDelco NHRA
Gatornationals produced the quickest PMS field ever assembled, led by Angelle
Sampey’s national record-tying pass of 6.911 seconds.
During qualifying, Krawiec’s Harley responded with a best run of 6.948 seconds at a top speed of 191.32 mph, both career bests. Prior to Gainesville, he had never qualified in eight NHRA national-event attempts.
On race day, Krawiec immediately earned his first round win as a professional by beating Suzuki rider Paul Gast with a lap of 7.150 seconds at 180.24 mph. He followed it up by taking out Matt Guidera’s Buell with a run of 7.243/175.46.
Krawiec’s memorable day ended with a semifinal loss to Matt Smith and his Buell.
“It showed what the team is capable of doing,” Krawiec said of his weekend run under the Florida sun. “Going to the semifinals in my debut with the team is incredible. The crew made it possible.”
At rain-shrouded Houston last week, Krawiec also made some noise, qualifying 10th with a 7.071 run at 189.92 before stumbling with a starting line foul against Peggy Llewellyn and her Buell in the first round.
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“We certainly didn’t have
the greatest weekend this time out,” Krawiec said of his Houston experience. “But I think we did some things very well. We
had just two chances to qualify and both bikes got in the final elimination set
and that was great. We just didn’t finish the job on Sunday.”
For Krawiec, the job is finding consistency. He always had the racing experience, but never the factory ride. He earned nine victories in 23 final rounds in the 600 Super Sport and Hot Rod Cruiser categories between 1999-’02, twice settling for second in the Prostar standings.
In 2003, Krawiec purchased a motorcycle previously owned by the legendary Dave Schultz, a six-time NHRA champion. He made his NHRA debut at his home track in 2004, but has never secured a Wally. Since then he has spent his weeks working at the E-Town track and weekends racing at every opportunity possible.
It was through his business and racing ties with fellow drivers that Krawiec found his way to a full-time ride. The race bike community, he said, is a tight-knit group where friendships are lasting but opportunities are few.
When Hines and company came calling, he jumped at the chance. Krawiec had developed and nurtured a relationship with the family over the years.
Harley-Davidson Racing manager Anne Paluso decided to take a chance on Krawiec.
“The team sees a lot of potential in bringing a relative unknown into the sport,” Paluso said. “Andrew has three championships, (crew chief) Matt Hines has three championships and (team owners) Terry Vance and Byron Hines bring decades of experience to the team. All of that is going to help Eddie become a more competitive rider. He has a big learning curve to attack, but we have the best team possible in place to make sure we have a solid two-bike team.”a d v e r t i s e m e n t
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Krawiec said he hasn’t felt the pressure to perform, only the genuine support to succeed. He feels comfortable with the guys.
“The best thing I found is they are just so involved in the program,” he said of his new team. “Some sponsors write the check, then they leave and you don’t see them. But Harley-Davidson really backs it 100 percent, and I think that’s the greatest thing.
“Being here with a No. 1 team, with Andrew and his three consecutive championships speaks for itself,” he said. “To have Andrew on my side is priceless. He has helped me tremendously. I am grateful for the amount of knowledge that he and Matt have shared with me. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Matt and Andrew.”
Now it’s up to Krawiec to take advantage of his position and make a contribution to the team.
“Our main goal is just to go out there, make consistent passes and get valuable data,” he said. “Our No. 1 goal is to qualify at every race. We want to make a respectable showing and I think eventually, by the end of the season, hopefully we can win one or two races.
“The competition is tough. There are no gimmies, no easy rounds. Hopefully we can show some consistency.”
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