NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The Covid-shortened 2020 season was a trying time for many NHRA racers but for Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Ran Oehler, there was at least one huge bright spot as he claimed his first NHRA win at the mid-summer E3 Spark Plugs Nationals held at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Oehler didn’t just win, he defeated six-time world champ Matt Smith in the final round and afterwards, just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, he won again at the Spring Las Vegas race in early 2021.

It's been four years and Oehler and his El Bandto Yankee Tequila team are still trying to capture the magic of four years ago.

“I wish I knew the answer to that but I can tell you we’re working on that every day; all of us. The whole team,” said Oehler. “There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t work to make this motorcycle quicker, or more consistent, or more reliable. It’s an ongoing process.

“We made over 300 dyno pulls last year and we’ve seen big things,” Oehler continued. “We can make big power on the dyno, but that doesn’t necessarily transfer to the race track when it comes to getting the bike from start to finish as quickly as possible. It can be frustrating at times, but it’s coming. I know it.”

In addition to recording his career-best elapsed time in Chicago with a 6.797, Oehler also cracked the 200-mph mark with a personal best 200.77 run, a clear indication that his program is headed in the right direction.

“The funny thing about that run was we had the wrong sprocket on the back of the bike,” Oehler said. “If we had the gearing right, I think we would have run 201. Then, we went to Richmond and made three passes with a 1.09 sixty-foot time. We needed to get that number closer to 1.06 and then you’d have something to build upon.”

Oheler doesn’t fight the fight alone. His family is deeply involved in his racing program and he also relies on the help of Mike Mullaney of Mullaney Cycle Works who travels from his home in Indianapolis to Oehler’s place in Illinois at least three times a week to work on the shop and help out wherever needed. Mullaney also built the chassis for Oehler’s Buell. The bare frame weighs just 42 pounds, which allows the team to move weight were it will be most effective. The chassis is also designed to allow for easy access to the fuel injection and quick engine changes.

“This is a big commitment, but we’re willing to make it,” Oehler said. “Sometimes, it takes its toll because we all want to be more competitive. I’ll admit that there were times when I started to lose my confidence, but it’s coming back.”

So far, Oehler and his El Bandito Yankee Tequila Buell have competed in five events this season and there have been a few bright spots. In Gainesville and Chicago, he ran in the 6.7s to qualify in the top half of the field. Oehler also scored a round win in Richmond when he defeated Jianna Evaristo.

This weekend in Indianapolis, Oehler has so far run a best of 6.863, which places him 13th in the quick field with two qualifying runs remaining on Sunday. Oehler tested at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park a week before the U.S. Nationals, but that doesn’t mean their trip to Indy has gone smoothly.

“Last Tuesday, we had the bike loaded and all ready to go and then we decided to take the bike out of the trailer and the engine out of the bike so we could change the rods. We ran the engine on the dyno and saw a few things we didn’t like. We sent the rig down here with out the bike and then brought the bike here the next day.”

When it comes to being competitive, Oehler has left no stone unturned. In fact, he’s ever turned to his competitors including the Vance & Hines team, who helped hone several engine blocks earlier this season.

“We’re all in this together and I think everyone wants to see us succeed,” Oehler said. “The guys [at Vance & Hines] volunteered some valuable information and we’re grateful for it. We run a 5 1/8-inch bore and they’re familiar with that and with their help we were able to upgrade our own stuff so now we can do that work in our own shop.”

Oehler has an outside shot to qualify for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs but no matter what, he’s planning on attending the last six events of the season. Looking ahead, he’s already making ambitious plans for the 2026 season including the possibility of adding a second Buell to his program.

“I’d love to find a qualified rider to bring into our program,” Oehler said. “I’ve talked to a couple of current riders but I also see the value in bringing in someone new. There are a bunch of guys from series like XDA and Man Cup that want to be here and they’ve seen what guys like Gaige [Herrera], Richard [Gadson], and Brayden [Davis] have done.

“We’ve got to continue to grow this class, and I’m all-in on that. We’re all looking for funding, and thankfully I’ve got El Bandido, and they’re solidly behind me. Hopefully, we can continue to grow that program as we have more on-track success.”