The world of drag racing is a lot like the game of baseball when it comes to records. They are meant to be broken, and there are few benchmarks left to reach. Well Hector Arana Jr. finally reached what is considered one of the last benchmarks in all of drag racing yesterday, when he broke the 200 MPH barrier in competition.

We have seen 300+ MPH for years in nitro racing. We see ET records broken almost multiple times a year at this point. Six second bikes are a norm. The Pro Stocks are almost back to where they were before the switch to EFI. So, what was really left at the pro level of drag racing? It was the 200 mph in competition mark with Pro Stock Motorcycles. Denso Spark Plugs had announced that they would pay $10,000 to the first rider to break 200 MPH in competition. And it didn’t take long for Hector to collect that check.

The Gatornationals is the first race for Pro Stock Motorcycles this season and the elusive 200 MPH is something that we talk about every year when we get to Gainesville. When you put up some cash, the purpose can become to break the barrier even sooner. May will remember when World Champion Eddie Krawiec broke the 200 MPH in testing at SGMP. Most thought that Eddie would also be the first to break it in competition, but Hector decided the money would be his.

The pass wasn’t a beautiful pass in regard to the qualifying time, but the moment that the 200 MPH popped up on the board, the crowd and starting line went nuts. Everyone knew that we had seen history and reached a benchmark that we started to believe was more difficult to reach than capturing a live unicorn.

So what is left for us to reach for as a sport beside growth, exposure, championships, and awesome side by side racing? Honestly if that isn’t enough, you might want to check your pulse. A big congratulation to Hector and the entire Arana family for reaching and setting the new benchmark in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle. And for those would thought it was a fluke, he came within just a sliver of doing again today during Q3.