Pro Stock Motorcycle star Chris Bostick raced to a new personal best elapsed time at the 36th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals and rose into the Top Ten in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series points standings. Tucked away among the vines and lines of Northern California’s Sonoma County, Sonoma Raceway is a favorite stop on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series for fans and race teams alike, creating an idyllic setting for Bostick’s latest achievement aboard his Surf Signature RV Resort Suzuki.
Bostick and the White Alligator Racing (WAR) team experienced some struggles in the first two rounds of qualifying on Friday. On Saturday, however, crew chief Tim Kulungian found the power they’ve been looking for and Bostick sped down the track with an impressive run of 6.777 seconds at 197.19 mph, his best elapsed time in his Pro Stock Motorcycle career. He backed it up in the final qualifying opportunity with another great pass of 6.781 at 196.22.
“The new personal best was amazing,” said Bostick. “We finally got our 60-foot time really figured out. In Q3 and Q4 we had either the best or second-best 60-foot time of the session. Tim is making such progress with the front half of the track. So here’s the good part: I’m still only running around 196 mph. That means there’s still more in the back half that we can gain. We are closing that gap.”
Entering race day from the No. 8 qualifier position, Bostick lined up against Hector Arana Jr. for the first round of eliminations. Bostick let the clutch out early and left before the light turned green, giving the win to Arana.
“It was my race to win,” Bostick remarked. “And I was excited and I threw it away. But I am so ready for Indy.”
Bostick will return to racing action when Pro Stock Motorcycle competes in Indianapolis for the NHRA U.S. Nationals, August 28 – September 2.
This story was originally published on July 29, 2024. 
