The NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle season reached a pivotal moment as Richard Gadson secured the regular season championship at the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Piloting his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki Gen 3 Hayabusa Gadson advanced to the semi-final round, ensuring his position as the top seed for the upcoming Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
The U.S. Nationals one of the most prestigious events on the NHRA calendar, not only offered a significant prize but also determined the 10-rider field for the Countdown. Gadson, who had been dealing with a performance slump, managed to clinch the title despite facing challenges. His journey through the event highlighted both skill and a touch of luck.
Gadson’s path to the regular season title
Gadson began the extended four-day event by qualifying fourth with a 6.818-second/197.86 mph run. In the first round, he caught a break when his opponent, Marc Ingwersen fouled at the starting line, negating a slower pass by Gadson. This fortunate turn allowed him to advance. Gadson continued his run with a hole shot win over Ryan Oehler in the second round, combining a 0.083-second reaction time advantage and a 6.856-second/196.76 mph run.
However, Gadson’s magic ran out in the semi-final round when his 6.878-second/197.25 mph run fell short against Matt Smith who posted a blistering 6.773 seconds/200.26 mph. Despite this loss, Gadson had already secured enough points to clinch the regular season title, along with the purse money and top seed in the Countdown.
Reflecting on his performance, Gadson acknowledged the challenges he faced: “We’ve been in a little bit of a performance funk since the race in Norwalk and the All-Star Callout in Sonoma. I haven’t been able to run big numbers, but I’ve been racing my way through rounds and getting wins one way or another, sometimes with luck like today. I want to be both lucky and good. This weekend proved why.”
Gaige Herrera’s impressive run
Gaige Herrera aiming for a third consecutive U.S. Nationals victory, qualified second with a 6.781-second/198.79 mph run. He also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge a specialty race-within-a-race that offers a cash purse and championship bonus points. This victory marked his third win of the year and 13th of his career.
Herrera advanced to the semi-finals with impressive runs of 6.781 seconds at 199.29 mph and 6.809 seconds at 197.83 mph in rounds one and two, respectively. In the semi-final round, he came up just 0.004-second short against Angie Smith losing by a narrow hole shot despite posting a slightly quicker 6.791-second/198.93 mph run.
Herrera remained optimistic about his chances in the Countdown: “We were missing a little performance this weekend, but I can’t be too mad about losing that one to Angie. That’s racing. Having a close race like that makes it fun for us racers and the fans.” He expressed his excitement for the upcoming races, particularly the first Countdown event at US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI.
Looking ahead to the Countdown
As the regular season concludes, the focus shifts to the Countdown to the Championship, a six-race playoff that will determine the 2026 Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion. Gadson, with 795 points leads the standings, followed by Herrera in third with 723 points. The top ten riders will have their points reset, with Gadson starting at the top and Herrera in third position.
Andrew Hines crew chief for the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki team, acknowledged the challenges posed by recent NHRA rule changes. “The Buells have a little bit of a performance advantage on us right now. There was a rule change coming into this race that gave us back a five-pound weight increase after NHRA had removed it earlier in the season. Hopefully they’ll take another look at it,” Hines said.
Despite these challenges, Hines expressed confidence in the team’s preparation for the Countdown. “We have a week off and then three back-to-back events to start the Countdown. It’s going to be fast and furious, so we need everything to be ready to go for Sunday from the time we unload the trailer. It’s going to be intense, and preparation and experience will definitely have an effect on the how the rest of the season shakes out, so we think that gives us an advantage.”
The RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines team will return to action on September 18-20 for the opening round of the Countdown to the Championship at the Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals in Martin, MI.
