'Gremlin Bell' CALIFORNIA:Working its Magic for Outgoing Series Champ Arana

OFF THE WIRE
http://www.whowon.com/sresults.asp?SanctionID=233&StoryID=300308 'Gremlin Bell' Working its Magic for Outgoing Series Champ Arana
by Rob Geiger, Lucas Oil Racing
POMONA, Calif. -- Hector Arana will hand over the mantle of Pro Stock Motorcycle champion to another rider at this weekend's 46th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals but the always-smiling rider from the vaunted Lucas Oil camp says another piece of hardware he acquired late in the year may be almost as valuable as his 2009 Full Throttle trophy.
"Someone gave me a Gremlin Bell and told me I needed to put it on my bike," Arana said. "I'd never heard of these things but at that point we were so frustrated in trying to figure out this Buell that the only thing we hadn't changed was the rider. I wasn't ready to get off the bike, as much as Hector Jr. wants me to, so we gave the bell a try.
"I'm shocked, but that little bell is working."
Gremlin Bells have been used for years by bikers wishing to ward off evil road spirits that attack the motorcycles of unsuspecting riders at the least opportune times. The legend says gremlins get trapped in the hollow of the bell and the constant ringing drives them insane, causing them to lose their grip on the bike and fall to the road.
Arana held the Pro Stock Motorcycle points lead for nine consecutive regular season races and appeared to be well on his way to a second straight championship until the gremlins found him at Denver's Bandimere Speedway in late July. Over the next five races, Arana struggled with just two elimination round wins, a stretch that eliminated him from title contention.
Then he attached the bell and just like that his Lucas Oil Buell V-Twin was reborn. In the next two national events Arana was the top qualifier and once again a bona fide contender for each race trophy.
"That gremlin bell is not coming off this bike, ever," Arana said. "Once you find something in a superstition, you never know what to do with it. Our resurgence took a lot of hard work, from all of my guys and from the guys at Larry Morgan's engine shop, but a little faith never hurts.
"All you can ask for as a competitor is to have a chance to win the race. We're back to that point once again and I don't know what else to say but that little bell made a difference."
Arana will begin the quest for his first win of the season at 1:30 p.m. PST, Thursday, at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona. Qualifying and eliminations will be shown on the ESPN family of networks.