(Tim Marshall photo)

Romine’s tune-up combination that Horne drives so well is encased in a John Storace “Weekend Frame” built chrome-moly chassis sporting a 96-inch wheelbase. This fuel injected, naturally aspirated monster with Doug on the bike weighs in at 985 pounds ready to rumble. The 191-ci motor is estimated by Mike to produce in excess of 850 horsepower that it sends to the B&J two-speed transmission via a clutch designed and built by Mike Romine Racing. This is your typical Top Fuel clutch type configuration with multiple stages engaging the clutch package in stages via a series of timers.

The most difficult aspect of the tune-up for the Nitro Harleys is the delicate balance of clutch engagements versus traction. The motorcycles have the power they need to go into the 5-second zone but the application of that power to a single traction application without breaking traction is the balance point.

“We can’t fully lock up the clutch in under four seconds without spinning the rear tire, is our biggest drawback right now,” commented Don Johnson in a recent phone interview. This is why teams are currently looking at longer wheel base chassis set ups or moving the motor forward more in the next generation of Top Fuel Nitro Harley bikes now in progress.

The combinations in these two machines produced the quickest and fastest numbers for Top Fuel Nitro Harley during last season’s racing. Who will up the ante in 2014 is anyone’s guess but one thing is assured: there will be wheels up side-by-side action with header flames belching into the night when these monsters take to the drag strip.