Treble finishes fifth in POWERade points
 

Pomona, CA - Post Race:
After a year long points battle, Craig Treble finished the 2004 NHRA Pro Stock Bike points championship in fifth place. Starting in March, finishing in November, and traveling from coast to coast twice, the season ended a few rounds too early for the Matco Tools Suzuki team.

"We had a good bike here in Pomona, but fell short of how we wanted to finish the season," said Treble. "Our 60 foot times were career best this weekend, 1.06's over and over, but we didn't make the right call on tuning and it killed our back half numbers."

Treble qualified sixth with a 7.131second, 191.59 run on Saturday, then slowed to 7.191/ 184.04 in the round one win over Kurt Matte in Sunday's conditions.

"We were killing in the first 60 feet, it was all about finding the correct jetting after that," said Treble.

Facing eventual finalist Antron Brown in round two, the Treble team looked over 15 races worth of information on a tune up, but still came up short against the Army team bike running a 7.254 / 182.08 to Brown's 7.175 / 185.36.

"Pro Stock Bike is an extremely tough class in the NHRA, and a fifth place finish is something to be proud of, but we are already working on building a new team for 2005," said Treble. "I think it's time to look at everything it takes to run a successful program and see what can be made better. The goal is to put the Matco Tools Suzuki in the winners circle, and in 2005 we hope to be able to do that often."

Treble uncovers season long mystery
 

Pomona, CA. – Qualifying:
Craig Treble has made a few runs in his carrier worthy of the NHRA highlight reel. A fire onboard the Matco Tools Suzuki earlier this season was such a run, and it will almost certainly be one of the Pro Stock Bike passes fans will remember from the 2004 season.

The problem for the Matco Tools team has been that nearly every pass since the fire in Denver, the bike has not lived up to the expectations of the Treble team.

"We have been inside this bike and checked everything top to bottom many, many times, and there still was always something that was just a little off," said Treble. "Instead of it being something trick or electronic, it is as simple as our air box being warped from the fire."

The air box on a Pro Stock Bike is used to duct air into the carburetors, and if not functioning properly, the bike simply will not produce enough horsepower to be competitive.

With another gremlin slain, Treble heads into eliminations at the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals qualified sixth. The Matco Tools Suzuki claimed the spot with a 7.131second, 191.59 mph pass Saturday morning,

"We tried a few different ideas throughout qualifying, just to find out what the track would let us get away with," said Treble. "I have a bit more confidence now that we have our air box working right. It would be a great way to finish off the season with another win in Pomona."

Season finale a favorite for Treble
 

Pomona, CA - Pre-race:
At the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Craig Treble plans on days filled mixed with hard work, and season ending fun.

"We spend several months traveling thousands of miles over the course of the season, and for many, it's the end of a long and exhausting year," said Treble. "Most of us still have a chance to move up a spot or two in points, but when Sunday is done and in the books, it's time to stop and enjoy the 2004 season."

But before the relaxation and reflection begins, the Matco Tools Suzuki team will attempt to finish out 2004 with a second event championship in Pro Stock Bike.

"Our Vegas weekend was confusing, so we stayed and tested on Monday following the national event," said Treble. "We experimented with an idea, and it worked. That's what we plan to start with in Pomona."

In addition to qualifying and racing the Matco Tools Suzuki this weekend, Treble will again speak at the NHRA Summit E.T. Finals World Champions banquet in Pomona.

"This is a huge honor for me to be invited back to the Summit banquet," said Treble. "I am still a bracket racer so I can relate to how much these racers have accomplished, and how excited they are to get the chance to race for a world championship."

Pomona Photos 2004