After going winless for all 18 years of his Pro Stock Motorcycle career, Hector Arana finally closed the deal in Norwalk on Sunday. (NHRA photo) » More Photos

Teammate Jason Line earned the praise from the Summit executives on hand for their race by qualifying on the pole, but Sunday it was Anderson who was the apple of their eye by besting Morgan, who went -.056 red in the final. Bouncing back from a disappointing loss in the final round of Saturday’s K&N Horsepower Challenge, Anderson steered his Summit Racing Equipment GXP from the bottom half of the field (No. 9) to the final by beating red-lighting Mike Edwards in round one, Line in a thrilling 6.701 to 6.703 second-round bash, and Greg Stanfield with low e.t. of the meet, 6.68, in the semifinals to reach the 80th final round of his career. Anderson’s triumph over Line was especially key as it pushed him past Kurt Johnson and into the points lead for the fourth time this season.

Morgan, the homestate favorite who missed the field at the first eight races this season then reached the final at the ninth event, in Topeka, where he was runner-up, reached his second final of the year and his second straight at this event with a trio of steady passes – 6.71, 6.71, and 6.72 – from his Lucas Oil Dodge to defeat Vinnie Deceglie, Horsepower Challenge champ Allen Johnson, and hungry Justin Humphreys. The final-round appearance was the 30th of Morgan’s Pro Stock career. Morgan’s last win was almost six years ago, in Sonoma in 2002.

Arana, who had reached his two previous finals in 1997, bested Treble in the final, 7.027, 187.60 to 7.061, 187.83 after earlier denying low qualifier Eddie Krawiec the chance to run for his first title by riding his Lucas Oil Buell to a tight .007-second 7.07 to 7.07 victory over the low-qualifying Harley rider in the semifinals. Arana, who had won just two rounds of racing in the season’s first six events, also beat a pair of this year’s national event winners, Gatornationals champ Matt Guidera in round one and reigning world champ and Houston titlist Matt Smith.

The quick-leaving Treble still will get full marks from team owner Harry Lartigue after riding to the final, the 24th of his career, on the strength of holeshot victories in the second- and semifinal rounds. After besting Mike Berry, 7.08 to 7.12, in round one he outreacted world champ Andrew Hines a 7.066 to 7.056 victory then aced Steve Johnson by just .001-second in the semifinals, beating the Snap-on rider on a 7.14 to 7.11 score.