Treble
Runs The Table In Las Vegas
Las Vegas –
Sunday Post Race: Craig Treble and the Matco Tools / Nitro
Fish Pro Stock Bike team completed a clean sweep in Las Vegas,
with the final round victory over defending NHRA POWERade
champion Angelle Savoie.
After first claiming
the No. 1 qualifying position at the AC Delco Las Vegas NHRA
Nationals, Treble ran low ET three of the last four rounds
of eliminations, re-set the Las Vegas Motor Speedway record
for Pro Stock Bikes, then finished with his first POWERade
event championship of the season.
“I can’t
tell you how good this feels to pick up the win here in Vegas,
it’s just been a great weekend all around,” explained
Treble about his sixth career event championship. “We
have been working like dogs all season and we just felt like
this one was a long time coming, it all came together today.”
Treble won the
Vegas title on the third different bike the Matco Tools team
has run this season, not one of the new Kosman bikes he has
been testing and refining throughout 2003, instead it was
and old piece that was sitting in the corner of the shop at
Vance & Hines. “Matt Hines let me take his ’02
bike out and dust it off, and that really was the key to this
win. I’ve got to thank the whole Vance & Hines team
for their help and support, I really appreciate it all.”
“I knew the
bike was fast in qualifying, and when we didn’t run
fast we knew exactly what to do to correct it for the next
pass.” Said Craig. “I think if we would have ran
this bike at sea level we just might have been able to capture
the first spot Mickey Thompson Six Second Club which is worth
$10,000. As it is we had a great day and have nothing but
happy people back at the Matco Tools / Nitro Fish trailer.”
The bike may have
been old, but wrapped in new Nitro Fish vinyl; the Treble
bike was nearly untouchable in Las Vegas. After first round
opponent Joe DeSantis broke on the line, the Matco Tools /
Nitro Fish bike speed to low ET in ever round that followed.
“In the second round we were fast, but then the air
got even better and we were fortunate enough the set the track
record in the semi’s.” Commented Craig.
Treble had lane
choice for the final round, which on paper had the team with
a huge performance advantage over Savoie. “It looks
that way from the outside but Angelle is a three time NHRA
World Champion, and you just don’t take it for granted
that you will both run the same as you did last round, not
this season.”
In the final, Craig
nearly matched his track record semi-final run of 7.165 with
a winning 7.178 / 185, to Savoie’s improved but slower
7.230 / 188 mph. “It’s been too long since we
had a whole mile of good runs on Sunday, but today was our
day. We made the right calls at the right time and now we
have the Vegas Wally to show for it.”
“We had some Matco Tools distributors here all weekend,
some Nitro Fish people of course, and many other friends and
family that get to share in this win. We probably won’t
call it a night until we see the sun come up here in Las Vegas.”
The win raised
Craig Treble to No. 6 on the 2003 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock
Bike Championship points sheet with one race left on the schedule,
the season ending Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA
Finals in Pomona California.Visit the Craig Treble Matco Tools
Pro Stock Bike web site to find results, pictures, and information
before and after every NHRA POWERade national event. www.craigtreble.com
Craig
Treble Takes Top Spot In Vegas Qualifying
Las Vegas –
Saturday Pit Note: For the second time this season, Craig
Treble has put his Matco Tools / Nitro Fish Suzuki in the
No 1 spot on the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Bike Qualifying ladder.
Treble led all
qualifiers at the Third annual AC Delco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals,
running a 7.246 / 182.82 MPH in the Saturday morning session,
then followed with another strong pass of 7.261 / 185.72 MPH
in the final session Saturday afternoon.
“Our second
pass actually had a better 60 foot time, and I thought we
were going to run even faster on that that pass. Instead I
ended up riding it a bit more than I wanted to and that killed
a bit of ET on that run. We ran pretty good today and I feel
great about going into eliminations tomorrow morning.”
Explained Treble.
“I want to
thank Matt Hines for loaning his Vance & Hines bike to
our team, obviously it’s a great piece and works extremely
well, I’m feel real comfortable on the bike,”
Said Craig. “If we can get one mile of good runs out
of this Matco Tools / Nitro Fish bike tomorrow, we’ll
have no problem celebrating here in Vegas tomorrow night.”
Craig
Treble Has Ace Up His Sleeve In Las Vegas
Las Vegas –
Friday Pit Note: In Las Vegas, the game is the same whether
you play it in the casinos, or at the racetrack. Attempt to
play the game with the odds in your favor.
At the AC Delco
Las Vegas Nationals, Craig Treble is using his years of racing
as a professional to combine skill, knowledge, and determination
to put his Matco Tools / Nitro Fish Pro Stock Bike in the
winner's circle on Sunday. But since this is Vegas, it always
helps to have an Ace up your sleeve, some proven commodity
to help put the odds in your favor, something you can take
bet on, like a championship caliber Vance & Hines Pro
Stock Bike.
Underneath the
new Nitro Fish vinyl, is the Vance & Hines bike of Matt
"The Missile" Hines, who is concentrating on the
V&H Harley-Davidson projects this season instead of playing
his usual role as 'Championship Contender'. "We've decided
to try and finish out this season as strong as possible, and
running Matt's bike seemed like a great thing to do. Matt
has put this bike on the pole a few times, and won a couple
of races with it so I know what its potential is," commented
Treble on running the 3 time NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Bike
champions bike.
Craig Treble put
the Matco Tools / Nitro Fish Bike in the No. 3 spot in Fridays
first qualifying session at "The Strip" on the strength
of a 7.329 182. The team finished the day in the No. 9 spot
with two qualifying sessions remaining Saturday.
"I have always
run Vance and Hines motors and have a great relationship with
that team. We share information with them often and I think
the world of Byron Hines. Byron has helped my program from
the first day I showed up trying to run Pro Stock Bike and
didn't really know much except that I really wanted to do
this." Said Treble. "As far as running this Nitro
Fish bike goes, Matt understands this bike and what makes
it work. If we can mesh that together with our program in
a real short amount of time, we just may have some success
with it here in Vegas."
Craig
Treble and Nitro Fish, Hungry For A Win In Las Vegas
Las Vegas - Pre
Race: This weekends annual stop on the 2003 NHRA POWERade
tour always promises something a bit different and exciting,
if for no other reason than it's Las Vegas baby. If history
is any indication of what is possible for Craig Treble and
the Matco Tools Pro Stock Suzuki, then the odds are better
than ever for a return to the NHRA POWERade winner's circle
on Sunday.
Treble will be
unveiling a special paint scheme in Vegas, a unique combination
of Matco Tools and Nitro Fish Ultimate Gear Sports Wear. "It's
loud man, a mean green fish that's ready to eat. I love it,"
commented Craig on the addition of Nitro Fish to the Matco
Tools Suzuki team. "Traditionally we have done pretty
good when we have a new or special paint scheme, it would
be great if that held true again here in Vegas."
Not content to
just rely on paint to win at the AC Delco Las Vegas Nationals,
the Matco Tools team recently conducted pre-race testing at
Treble's home track Firebird International Raceway in Chandler
Arizona. "We clicked off some numbers that made us pretty
happy, I think we're ready for 'The Strip' in Las Vegas."
With the 2003 POWERade
season winding down to its last two events, Craig Treble says
that his objective is still the same. "We race every
event like it is the beginning of the season, like we are
rolling into Gainesville, our mission is to win at every event.
We have a fast bike, a very experienced crew, and lots of
data on how to get our Pro Stock Bike down the track, the
trick is to have everything working just right and pull off
a win"
If there has been
anything that the 2003 season has proven, it is that the NHRA
POWERade Pro Stock Bike class has become more competitive
and challenging then ever. "In seasons past there were
always 3 or 4 different riders who could qualify on top or
win an event, and that was about it, but this year we have
had new riders in both those positions, and that has made
this class even tougher than ever. I think it is easy to see
that the whole Pro Stock Bike class has moved forward in '03"
"This year,
if you miss the tree, you are done. You miss the tune up,
the clutch, or any other
variable you are dead meat. None of these Pro Stock bike riders
are going to let you slide by and win a round this year, you
have to get in there and fight for it, you have to take it.
At the start of the season I commented that they (fellow racers)
were all piranha's, and they are, but for the rest of this
season, I have the big, hungry, nasty fish on my bike, and
we are hungry for a win."
Visit the Craig
Treble Matco Tools Pro Stock Bike web site to find results,
pictures, and information before and after every NHRA POWERade
national event. www.craigtreble.com
Craig Treble
Team Scream 2003 Sponsors:
