Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines rider Eddie Krawiec rode a Harley-Davidson V-Rod to the final round of Pro Stock Motorcycle eliminations at the NHRA Carolina Nationals at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Krawiec lost in the finals to Snap-On Suzuki rider Steve Johnson, fouling at the line by just 0.002 seconds. By winning three rounds, Krawiec moved from seventh place to fourth place in the Countdown to One championship playoffs, just 42 points behind the series leader, Matt Smith.

“I cut some really great lights this weekend, but I cut that last one a little too close,” said Krawiec, who started the weekend 80 points out of first place. “I had a great Harley-Davidson V-Rod under me all weekend. My main goal for the rest of the season is just going rounds and adding up the points. For our team this was a great start to the Countdown.”

Krawiec qualified third for the event with a pass of 6.981 seconds. He won his first-round match with Junior Pippin when the Stone Mountain/Granite Mountain H-D/Buell rider fouled at the line. Krawiec defeated Rocklin Motorsports Buell rider Matt Guidera in round two, and Rush Racing Products Buell rider Angelle Sampey in round three to make the final.

Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines rider Andrew Hines qualified fourth at Charlotte with a 7.007 run. Hines was done in the first round when he fouled by 0.017 seconds to give win to Wes Walls on the Ray Skillman Performance Parts Suzuki. Hines was one of four riders to foul in the first round, and one of five Countdown-qualified riders to lose on a red light at Charlotte.

“I had a really good bike but we just need to slow it down a little off the line,” said Hines. “We are going to work on that for the next race. We still have four races left in the Countdown, so the schedule this year gives you a chance to stumble, and I took mine this weekend. But I can’t afford to stumble again.”

The race was the first NHRA event at the new drag-racing facility at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, and the Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines team was impressed with both the track and the crowd.

“This track is second-to-none in the country,” said Krawiec. “They’ve done an excellent job. The crowd was also fantastic. We are down in Nascar country, but it’s clear these fans also know drag racing and follow the Screamin’ Eagle team. I know I can’t wait to race here again.”

After one round of the five-round NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Countdown to One series for the championship, top-seeded NitroFish Buell rider Matt Smith, who lost to Hector Arana in the second round at Charlotte, holds his lead with 2148 points. Johnson moves from eighth to second place, with 2114 points. Sampey is third with 2112 points, followed by Krawiec with 2106 points and Hines in fifth with 2095 points.

NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycles will race next September 18-21 at the O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas.