NHRA News: Treble hopes to carry momentum to 2004 (1/5/2004)

Treble hopes to carry momentum to 2004

By Rob Geiger, NHRA.com
1/5/2004

"I plan on picking up right where I left off."
– Craig Treble

For most competitors on the POWERade Drag Racing Series the off-season is a welcome respite from the sometimes grueling pace of the 23-event NHRA campaign. Usually, the season-ending Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals are a welcome sight as teams finish the year and head home for a much-needed, three-month sabbatical.

But for one rider in the Pro Stock Bike class, the end of the season came way too soon. After 13 races full of disappointment, Matco Tools pro Craig Treble came to life in 2003's twilight, suddenly dominating the class that many had picked him to win outright. With convincing performances in both Las Vegas and Pomona, Treble finally looked the way everyone expected him to look. And then it was over.

"I certainly didn't want to see it end," Treble said. "I mean, we were untouchable at those last two events. That bike we borrowed from Matt [Hines] was clearly better than anyone else's bike. Just look at the numbers. We were easily the No. 1 qualifier at both races and we won every round with air to spare. We were undefeated; you can't do any better then that."

Victories at the last two races of 2003 pushed
Treble's career total of wins to seven.
Racers Edge Photography

A preseason favorite, Treble started the year fairly well, racing to two runner-up finishes in the first four events. But he was wildly inconsistent as well, even failing to qualify for the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Atlanta, the first DNQ of his five-year professional career. Things didn't get much better in the middle of the season with five first-round losses dotting his elimination record. A final first-round loss in Reading signaled time for a change.

"I was at [engine supplier] Vance & Hines' shop and Matt's bike was just sitting there in the corner collecting dust," Treble said. "Byron pulls me to the side and says, 'Go ask Matt if you can borrow his bike for Las Vegas.' It was just killing him to see me struggle because he knew he was giving me some great horsepower.

"So I asked Matt and he just shrugged and said, 'Sure, go ahead.' So we took the bike and obviously it worked very well for us."

Treble is always trying
to make his bike faster.
Racers Edge Photography

Needing only to adjust the handlebars for Treble's smaller frame, the bike Hines had ridden to multiple victories in the years leading up to his sudden decision to shelve his operation at the start of 2003 was ready for action.

"Since I didn't really need to work on the bike much I spent a lot of time just looking at it," Treble said. "First of all, Matt's bigger than me so it was constructed to be very light. That allowed us to move a lot of weight around, which was an immediate advantage for me. Secondly, the more I looked at how all the components went together the more I realized how simple and basic it was.

"You tend to think a guy like the three-time champion would have all this high-tech specialty stuff but in actually that bike was probably one of the most plain Jane set-ups you could have. I think we have all been over-thinking this stuff to a certain extent."

In what many would consider a surprising decision, Treble plans to turn down the open offer from Hines to continue using his old bike, opting instead to switch back to the Sandy Kosman chassis he struggled with for most of the year.

The last two races of the year lifted Treble's team.
Racers Edge Photography

"The stuff we learned from Matt's bike helped us figure out what was wrong with the Kosman," Treble said. "I realize now that I should have parked it sooner than I did last season because the changes that needed to be made couldn't be done on the fly. But having said that, I also want to be perfectly clear that I don't have any qualms at all about switching back. It's fixed now and, in my opinion, Kosman makes the best chassis out there.

"Without giving too much away, we couldn't adjust the rear axle on the bike last year. Instead, it had a roller system to adjust the chain's slack. That was jacking us up somehow, especially downtrack.

"What we did was go back to basics, just like Matt's bike. Plus, I know this bike has the lowest center of gravity of any bike ever made so I know it will 60-foot like a mother. I expect 1.0s all day long, which is what Matt's bike was pulling. Once you get to 60-feet that Vance & Hines horsepower takes over and then you're just waiting for the win light."

Cherie Cox (left) will wed Treble on Valentine's Day, making this their last victory celebration as singles.
Racers Edge Photography

In between his exhaustingly long work days, Treble has moved from Chandler, Ariz., to the suburbs of Little Rock, Ark., to be closer to his fiancé's place of work. The couple plans to marry on Valentine's Day so the honeymoon will be over well in advance of the season-opener for the Pro Stock Bike set, the Mac Tools Gatornationals, March 19-21, in Gainesville, Fla.

"Maybe I'll just be one year late for all those people who predicted 2003 would be my year," Treble said. "I know if we don't win it all this year it won't be for lack of trying. I think it'll be another brutal year. The girl [three-time champ Angelle Savoie] was really coming on late. I don't think [new champ Geno] Scali's going to back off. Plus, the Harley's are going to be brutal. Look how much they gained in one year. They could blow right by us all this time around.

"I know one thing; I plan on picking up right where I left off. I'm gonna pretend the off-season didn't happen. That it was just a long break between races."

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