In a career that now spans 13 seasons and includes 14 NHRA national event wins and 30 final rounds, Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Craig Treble has proven that if nothing else, he is a survivor. Following a brief stint with Don Schumacher’s team in late 2008, Treble found himself without a sponsor or adequate funding for 2009. Without a full-time job or a major sponsor, Treble competed at all 17 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events and qualified for the Countdown to 1 playoffs.

“I’m not really sure how I did it, but I guess I just don’t have enough sense to stay at home,” Treble joked. “Seriously, this is in my blood, and anyone who knows me will realize that when I start something, I want to finish it. I really didn’t expect to be out there all year. My original plan was to just run the first few races and see if I could run well and hopefully find a sponsor. I never found that big sponsor, but I did put together a few little deals here and there, just enough to keep me from starving to death. Thankfully, I had a lot of really good people help me out, and I not only got to run all the races, but I actually won two of them and finished in the top 10. And I had a hell of a lot of fun.”

Treble’s core group of supporters in 2009 included his brother, Don Banaski, Ben and Becky Hatcher, Ron Morehead of Honda of Kingston, and Monroe Guest of Tigerflow. Treble’s racing program also got a huge lift from fellow rider Michael Phillips, who became his pseudo teammate last season.

Craig Treble scored an impressive victory in Englishtown this year when he topped Eddie Krawiec in the final and gave credit to plenty of people who joined him in the winner's circle (below), including fellow rider Michael Phillips, second from right.

“I’ll come right out and say it: There is no way I could have been able to run the whole season without Michael,” said Treble. "That guy really went the extra mile for me. Whenever I needed something, he was right there. When I needed help with my tune-up, he was right there. We parked together at every race, and whenever one of us needed something, all the other had to do was ask. Michael is in kind of the same position I am as far as his budget, so together, we were able to cut some costs and get through the year.”

Competing against much larger, more heavily financed teams, Treble and Phillips combined to win three events and appear in three more final rounds. Both riders also qualified for the Countdown to 1, with Phillips posting a career-best sixth-place finish and Treble a ninth-place showing. Additionally, Treble and Phillips were the only Suzuki riders to win in 2009.

Nowhere was Phillips’ support more evident than at the United Association NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, where Treble defeated Eddie Krawiec in the final. Treble arrived in Englishtown alone because brother Don had a prior engagement. 

“That race had the potential to be a fiasco, but we ended up winning it,” said Treble. “I was there by myself, but one of Michael’s buddies, Johnny Thompson, came over to help me. Johnny ended up breaking his leg, but after Michael lost in the first round, his whole team pitched in and worked on my bike. That was the difference.

“Michael has been around longer than I have, and he has some old-school racing and tuning tips. He is smart enough not to outthink himself. There were times when I want to lean it out, and Michael said, ‘Don’t touch it. It’s fine.’ More often than not, he was right. He certainly deserves the credit for me winning Englishtown.”

Likewise, Treble takes at least partial credit for Phillips' dramatically improved performance, which included a win in Memphis, runner-up finishes in Reading and Indy, and a career-best 196-mph speed.

“About midseason, Don and I stole Michael’s bike and brought it to my buddy Scott Williams’ place in Indiana for a couple of weeks,” Treble said. “Under the seat, the wiring looked like a bowl of spaghetti, and there were a few other things that needed attention. We told Michael to leave us alone, and we stripped the bike down to the frame, cut on it, welded on it, and then put it all back together. Michael’s crew guy Red told him, ‘Michael, just shut your mouth and let them do their thing.’ When he got the bike back, that’s when he really started to run fast. Michael is pretty ruthless on his engine, and he’s a great rider. For a big man, he can get tucked behind the fairing pretty well. He is very underrated.”

Treble’s budget limitations became an issue at midseason. No longer able to lean on his equipment, he began to qualify outside the top half of the field and suffered numerous round-one losses, including five straight in the Countdown to 1 playoffs. 

The Suzukis of Treble (pictured) and pseudo teammate Phillips were the only ones from that brand to win an NHRA event in 2009.

“In these Suzukis, you need to put a crankshaft in them every 40 runs, and when I replaced my crank, the engine was never the same,” Treble said. “I was almost the No. 1 qualifier in Denver, but that was about the only highlight. I’d love to have a trailer full of parts and be able to lean on them, but that isn’t the case. In order to stay out there, I needed to race smart. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have made it to Pomona.”

With a trying yet successful 2009 season behind him, Treble is attempting to put together a program that will allow him to continue racing next season. Because he owns his own bike, truck, trailer, and support equipment, Treble contends that he could race competitively on a budget that is a fraction of what some of the other teams spend.

“I don’t need a million dollars,” he said. “I don’t even need half of that, although I certainly wouldn’t turn it down. For me, the biggest thing I need is a second engine, some spare parts, and enough funding to get from race to race. I’ve been in this spot before, and I’ve always managed to put something together in order to stay out here. I’ve hocked my house twice, but now I don’t even own a house. I dipped into my savings last year, and I just can’t do that again. I’ve got a couple of deals cooking, but nothing is certain.

"Realistically, I’m willing to go until the end of January to find something. If not, I’ll move back to Phoenix and start working in construction again. I’ve still got my bracket bike, so I’ll always have something to race, but I’d prefer to be out there on a Pro Stock Bike. No matter what happens, I have no regrets about the 2009 season. I’d do it all over again if I had the chance. Racing with Michael was so much fun; I think I enjoyed it even more than 2002, when I almost won the championship. I knew that I was defying the odds just by being out there, so that helped take away all the pressure. It’s been a good run; now I just want to continue it.”

This story is copyright 2009 National Hot Rod Association. It may not be reprinted or retransmitted in any form without the express written permission of NHRA.com.