RON HOUNIET WINS FIRST SCREAMIN’ EAGLE NITRO HARLEY EXHIBITI

[totalmotorcycle]

RON HOUNIET WINS FIRST SCREAMIN’ EAGLE NITRO HARLEY EXHIBITION OF THE NHRA SEASON

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LAS VEGAS, Nev. (April 18, 2005) – There was a little luck behind Ron Houniet’s victory during the first Screamin’ Eagle Nitro Harley event at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Houniet beat Greg Grove on a motorcycle owned by legendary rider, Ray Price, during the final round of the NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Houniet qualified fourth in the eight-bike field with a 6.610-second run at 211.73 mph. He turned in a 7.680-second pass at 124.59 mph in the final race on Sunday against Grove, who fouled at the starting line, immediately handing the victory to Houniet.

"You never want to win on the red light, but sometimes it just happens that way," Houniet said. "We had a couple of lucky breaks this weekend and it's fitting we're in Las Vegas of all places, but I think consistency was really the key for us. We kept making runs in the 6's and it would have been nice to make bigger improvements along the way, but I'm real happy with the victory."

The race was the first of three stops on the NHRA tour for the Nitro Harley-Davidsons. The top 10 Screamin' Eagle Nitro riders from the AHDRA (All Harley-Davidson Racing Association) are invited to make the special appearance at the NHRA event. Houniet was more than happy to participate in an extra weekend of racing.

"Being here and being able to race with the likes of John Force, Larry Dixon and everyone else is just great," Houniet said. "We love coming out here and it's good exposure for the sport."

The next stop on the NHRA tour for the Nitro Harley-Davidson motorcycles will be the O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn., April 29- May 1. The final appearance will be at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., Sept. 29- Oct. 2.

Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Anne Paluso said the special appearances have two goals.

"We want to give the NHRA fans a chance to see the Nitro Harleys in action because it is such an exciting class," Paluso said. "We also want to give AHDRA racers a chance to be part of the big show. The racers put on a great show for the fans and that is one of the main goals. Half of the riders who made it in the eight-bike field posted runs of more than 200 mph and there was a lot of thrilling side-by-side action."

Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts are inspired by and built in the spirit of the raw adrenaline and power of motorcycle racing. Screamin’ Eagle Pro parts are specifically designed for race-use applications, while Screamin’ Eagle parts offer street-use performance options for the Harley-Davidson motorcycle owner. Visit www.harley-davidson.com for more information.