NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Likable Louisiana alligator farmer Jerry Savoie completed one of the most improbable championship runs in history on Sunday at the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona when he clinched the NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock Motorcycle title. Savoie, on his White Alligator Suzuki, held off the factory-backed Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson V-Rods of Eddie Krawiec and Andrew Hines to win the championship.

“I can’t believe it,” said a very emotional Savoie. “I didn’t want to cry, but to only dream of winning one race and to come out here and put a deal together and the support of Vance & Hines and my crew – Tim and Steve and Jeremy – and to win the championship, man. I went to church this morning, and the message was encouragement and to get encouraged, and people inspire you. There is a God, and he is watching, and I want to thank everybody: NHRA, Mello Yello, the [Safety] Safari crew, everybody. I don’t know what to say, but especially thank you to the fans. Without you guys, this would not be possible. You make our dreams come true, and you guys are my family.

“We knew going into Dallas that we had a good package put together. We sent our engines to Vance & Hines, and they freshened ‘Goober’ up, and we stuck with ‘Goober’ all season. We had some misfortune in Dallas, which would have been really good to help us this weekend, and go to Vegas and do what we did. Look man, I’m just a Cajun country boy doing my thing. I’ve got the best guys in the world. I love them all.”

Entering the Auto Club NHRA Finals, Savoie, Hines, and Krawiec were separated by just three points, making it the closest multi-racer points battle in NHRA history. Coming off a win two weeks ago in Las Vegas, Savoie qualified in the No. 1 spot to take over the points lead for the first time this season. He entered the Countdown to the Championship as the No. 4 seed and dropped to sixth after a round-one loss in Charlotte. Savoie battled back with wins in St. Louis and Las Vegas and a runner-up finish in Dallas. Savoie's Tim Kulungian-tuned bike was also the low qualifier in Dallas and Las Vegas.

The battle that many had expected to go all the way to the final was decided in the second round when Hines and Krawiec both lost and Savoie won. Savoie did his part with a narrow holeshot win over Steve Johnson and became an interested spectator minutes later. Hines was the first to go when he lost to three-time champion Angelle Sampey, 6.87 to 6.91, ending his bid for a record-tying sixth championship. The title was decided in another stunning upset when Matt Smith rode his Victory Gunner to a 6.90 to 6.87 holeshot win over Krawiec. It was just the fourth time in 16 races that Krawiec did not reach the semifinal round.

For Savoie, the championship provides redemption for a heartbreaking loss a year ago at the Auto Club NHRA Finals, where his title hopes were dashed when his bike spun the tire in the second round. Savoie, who has two wins in six final rounds this season, becomes the first Suzuki rider to win the NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock Motorcycle title since his new teammate, LE Tonglet, in 2010.