V-Twin For the Strip
V-Twin for the strip
Terry Vance is no dummy. But sometimes, you have to wonder what he’s thinking. No longer charged with Ducati’s U.S. Superbike effort, the dragracing legend and exhaust maker has shifted his focus to fielding an NHRA Pro Stocker for-drum roll, please—Harley-Davidson.
Problem is, the last time a Harley qualified for an NHRA event was in September, 1997, at Topeka, Kansas. And that was because only 17 bikes showed up to fill the 16-bike field.
Business-wise, however, it’s a smart move. “Half of everything we make is a Harley pipe,” Vance explains. “More than anything, I want to cement Vance & Hines with the Harley-Davidson brand. I want dealers to say, ‘Hey, you’ve got to use Vance & Hines.’ That’s why the program was so important, whether it was roadrace or drag race.”
Longtime partner and engine-builder extraordinaire Byron Hines is heading up the motor program. New Pro Stock rules permit pushrod V-Twins with two valves per cylinder to displace up to 160 cubic inches (2622cc). There is also a 50-pound bike/rider weight break.
“It’s probably the biggest challenge I’ve ever encountered,” admits Hines. “To be competitive, the thing has to make 300 horsepower. Had we started five years ago, it would have been a much easier deal. It’s astounding how quick these things have gotten in the last two years alone.”
Hines should know. He supplies engines to most of the sport’s top runners, and son Matt has won three of the last four Pro Stock titles. The younger Hines won’t be pulling the trigger on the Harley, though. Instead, he’ll stick with his Eagle One-backed Suzuki. “We just re-signed our deal with Eagle One for three more years,” Vance confirms. “So we’ll have two completely separate teams, one for Eagle One/Suzuki, the other will be Vance & Hines/Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson.”
To date, no one has been hired to ride the new bike. “When it comes to testing, we’ve got plenty of guys who can get it down the track,” Vance says. “We want to get it to the point where we know we have the power, and then start making a plan as far as the team and all that.”
Still, it won’t be easy. “We may not crack the code in three months, six months or even a year. But we’re going to get it,” vows Vance. “Byron and I have never failed to qualify for an>
NHRA event. Ever. We’ve won with Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. No one else has ever done that. I’d like to leave something where people say, ‘Those guys got it done.’ This is our opportunity to do that.” -Matthew Miles
