Treble Ready For Pro Stock Motorcycle Best Season Ever
 

Gainesville, FL - Pre Race:

At the kickoff NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle event of the 2005 season, one would be unable to swing a dead alligator and not hit a rider involved in a pre-season interview filled with sports cliché’s about the season yet to unfold. The only thing that can honestly be said about the flood of hyperbolae in the rider interviews is, it’s all true, and then some.

“Without a doubt, 2005 is going to be a year of exceptional performance for the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle class,” said Craig Treble. “Right now, we are going into a season with more teams capable of winning races, more riders with outstanding talent, and more motorcycles with enough funding that will put them in the hunt for the championship.”

 Because of this, Treble has taken his Matco Tools Pro Stock Motorcycle program and reviewed every aspect in the attempt to keep ahead of the rush of new teams and talent. By concentrating on what has brought him 8 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle event wins in 18 final round appearances, the Matco Tools rider will use to his advantage the one thing he has plenty of. Experience.

 “I plan to use my strengths to do what we can to win races,” said Treble, “and rely on others, like Vance & Hines, to provide our Matco Tools team with the other necessary ingredients needed to compete and win at this level.”

 Vance & Hines has become known for winning championships using Harley Davidson, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Yamaha powered motorcycles, something not lost on Treble or the rest of the Pro Stock Motorcycle community.

 “I say it every race. I have so much confidence in my motor program with Vance & Hines that I know if we can make the right calls when tuning the bike on race day, I can end up in the winners circle.”

 With of strides made in both the Suzuki and Harley programs at V&H over the winter, Treble knows this season will literally be the best ever for the class.

 “2005 will be the year of the 6 second run,” said Treble. “Riders will squeeze career best runs out of their Harley’s, Buell’s, Kawasaki’s and Suzuki’s. There will be new track records set at some of the events, and both NHRA national records should be lowered this season as well.”

All of these predictions are accepted as fact by nearly every professional rider on the NHRA tour, but what is unknown will really be the story of the year.

 “Who will be the first rider to make a 6 second pass?” said Treble. “How much will the MPH record fall in 2005? Who will jump out to a points lead early? Will there be any first time event champions? As much as we think we know what will happen, until we all get together and make passes on the same racetrack under the same conditions, it’s all just guessing and speculation.”

 Whatever the predictions, Gainesville threatens to deliver the unexpected, but promises to leave every fan satisfied with the performance and competition from the Pro Stock Motorcycle class of 2005.

 The NHRA Gatornationals are the 1st of 15 national events on the 2005 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Motorcycle drag racing tour.

Treble Qualifies In Record Breaking Field
 

 Gainesville, FL. - Qualifying:

 Craig Treble put his Matco Tools Pro Stock Motorcycle in the top half of a historically quick field, qualifying in the No. 7 position at the NHRA POWERade Mac Tools Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida.

Anticipation had been building for nearly two years over the expected breaking of the 6 second barrier in Pro Stock Motorcycle, and the Friday night Gainesville qualifying session had been picked by many during the off-season as the best bet for record breaking runs during the season opening event.

 It was believed throughout the Pro Stock Motorcycle community that the favorites to run a sub-7 second pass would be either one of the two Vance & Hines Harley Davidson V-Rods, or one of the pair of team Army bikes. It was the V-Rods that didn’t disappoint.

 During the excitement of Andrew Hines clocking an historic 6.991 / 196.16 run in the late Friday session, and G.T. Tonglet just missing with a 7.007 one pair earlier, Craig Treble was busy making some personal history of his own.

 A solid 7.055 / 190.11 run from the Matco Tools Motorcycle re-set Trebles personal best, and would be good enough to keep the team in the top half of the quickest  Pro Stock Motorcycle field in NHRA history.

 “We had two good runs during the Friday sessions, but the bike spun the tire from half track to the finish line on both of them.” said Treble. “We lost some elapsed time on those runs, but it did show us we have the power to run near the top of the field.”

 Sticking with the same conservative set-up that produced great numbers for the team on Friday, Treble mirrored the rest of the class, making good runs but not improving qualifying positions in the two Saturday sessions.

 “The weather just wasn’t as good on Saturday as it was Friday night,” said Treble, “There was very little shuffling of the field today.”

 In Sunday’s final eliminations, Treble will pit his Matco Tools Motorcycle against NHRA regular Matt Smith, who qualified using a 7.082 from his Red Line Oil Suzuki.

Treble Advances to Finals in Gainesville
 

Gainesville, FL. – Post Race:

 Craig Treble struck quickly in 2005, putting his Matco Tools Suzuki in the final round at the NHRA POWERade Mac Tools Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. Reaching the money round at the first event of the season places Treble in the No. 2 spot in the early chase for the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Motorcycle championship.

“We really had a good weekend at the Gators,” said Treble, “We went rounds on Sunday, and that’s what is needed over the course of the 15 race season.”

 The Matco Tools Suzuki used bracket like consistency to turn back competitors in the first three rounds, disposing of Matt Smith, GT Tonglet, and Karen Stoffer in the march to the final.

 “The bike ran .020 better on each of the first three passes,” said Treble, “And I was cutting progressively better lights each round as well.”

 Treble’s 7.193 opening round shot improved to a 7.179 against Tonglet, then to a 7.159 when facing Stoffer.

 In the Pro Stock Motorcycle final, Treble again improved in the reaction time area, nailing a .019 to get out of the gate first, then lead the match until the 1000 foot mark, running a 7.161 to Steve Johnson’s 7.139 elapsed time.

 “With the reaction times figured in, it was a .010 race, and that’s a good race in anyone’s book,” said Treble. “We are pretty happy over here in the Matco Tools camp. We made the final round of the first race of the year, and we sit second on the point’s sheet. Not a bad start to 2005.”

Gainesville Photos 2005