With just two races left in the 2012 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle season, Las Vegas and Pomona, the battle for the championship has become a two horse, or a two Harley race.
Defending class champion Ed Krawiec holds a slim 17 point lead over his Screamin’ Eagle V-Rod teammate Andrew Hines. That’s less than one round of racing.
The Vance and Hines-backed duo have dominated the category this season in remarkable and controversial fashion. Krawiec and Hines have won a ton of races and set new performances marks, but it’s hard to truly gauge how impressive the team’s reign is since it uses specialized equipment no one else in the class competes with.
The Buell-powered Arana team still has a mathematical chance to win a title, but it would take a miracle, like the Vance and Hines rig exploding, for Jr. to make up 139 points, or for Sr. to make up 197.
In a season which hasn’t seen much parity or compelling racing, the good news for PSM fans is the final two-race showdown between Krawiec and Hines should be competitive and entertaining.
Krawiec has been the more dominant rider this season, but just like playoffs in traditional sports, NHRA’s Countdown rewards individuals who peak at the right time. Hines is hot coming off a new national Pro Stock Motorcycle elapsed time record of 6.728 seconds at the rain-delayed Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.
Hines is a three-time series champion, but has not won the title since 2006. Will Hines family help push the former champ to a new title? Or will Hines’ sheer hunger fall short of Krawiec’s consistency.
Who is your pick to win the 2012 title?