Gaige Herrera earned his first NHRA U.S. Nationals victory and clinched the top spot in the Pro Stock Motorcycle Countdown to the Championship playoffs on board his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki Gen 3 Hayabusa at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Indianapolis, IN, on Monday.
After nearly month-long layoff since the last race in Sonoma, Gaige Herrera posted a 6.809-second/197.71 mph run on Sunday during the expanded five-round qualifying format at the U.S. Nationals to claim the number-one qualifying position for the fifth time this year and 19th time in his career.
Herrera defeated Wesley Wells (foul) in the first round of eliminations with a 6.772-second/199.35 mph pass that was low ET of the round. Herrera went low ET again in the second round, posting a 6.755-second/199.58 mph victory over Chase Van Sant (6.806 seconds/198.26 mph) that set up a semi-final matchup against his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki teammate Richard Gadson. Herrera ran 6.804 seconds at 197.91 mph in the semis to deny Gadson (6.879 seconds/196.42 mph) a chance to advance to the finals.
In the final round, Herrera defeated Angie Smith (6.829 seconds/197.19 mph) with a combination of a perfect .000-second starting line reaction time and a 6.763-second/198.70 mph elapsed time to claim his seventh victory of the season and first at the prestigious U.S. Nationals, an accolade that had eluded Herrera in his standout career that now includes 18 victories.
Herrera also closed out the nine-race regular season at the top of the standings and enters the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs in first place for the second year in a row.
“When I threw the clutch lever in the final round and saw green, I thought ‘I’m good,’ but that was cutting it way to close for my comfort. I’m glad I was on the right side of that light,” Herrera said. “It feels amazing to win the U.S. Nationals. It’s a big accomplishment in my career. Two years ago at this track I made my debut in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class. That’s when Andrew Hines first noticed me, and it eventually led to me joining the team last year. So to win this race feels almost as big as winning the championship. I have all the confidence in the world in this team. I can’t do it on my own. My success showcases all their hard work and I’m very happy to be a small part of it.”
Richard Gadson posted a 6.834-second/196.64 mph run on Saturday to claim the number four starting spot. Gadson has qualified in the top half of the field in every race so far this season.
Gadson defeated Ryan Oehler (6.967 seconds/193.63 mph) in round one with a 6.808-second/198.06 mph run that was his quickest pass of the weekend. In round two, Gadson knocked off Jianna Evaristo (6.891 seconds/199.14 mph) with a 6.819-second/196.99 mph pass to advance to his fourth semi-final round appearance of the season.
In his second head-to-head matchup this season against Herrera, Gadson’s 6.879-second/196.42 mph run in the semis wasn’t quick enough to advance, but the rookie rider clinched a berth in the Countdown and will start the playoffs third in points.
“This weekend was one of my best races of the year in terms of mental and physical preparation. I did my job as a rider and we improved the bike’s performance or learned something about tuning it during every run,” Gadson said. “It’s been a rollercoaster year so far with some ups and downs, but that’s the nature of racing and I need to keep things in perspective. I’m in third place in the championship chase in my rookie season. That’s amazing, but play time is over. Now it’s time for me to find the best version of myself and for us to find the best version of this motorcycle and put them forward for the last six races of the year.”
RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki crew chief Andrew Hines said much of the team’s focus during the break between Sonoma and Indy was spent assessing and testing the impact of a recent NHRA-imposed 15-pound weight increase on the Gen 3 Suzuki Hayabusas.
“We had a month to prepare our Suzukis and make them into mean machines. Gaige worked hard too, getting into fighting shape by losing a few pounds, and we came here ready to rock,” Hines said. “We made five laps in testing last week and nine more this weekend. It was a progression of moving weight around on the bike, getting the clutch set up and the motorcycle running straight. We made some engine and chassis changes throughout the weekend, and boom-everything came together and we’re here in the winner’s circle. For the rest of this championship, we’ll keep our focus on being as efficient as we can be run after run, race after race.”
After the conclusion of the nine-race regular season, Herrera clinched the top spot in the Countdown to the Championship with 1,090 points. Championship points for the top ten riders in the Countdown are reset ahead of the six-race playoffs. Herrera now sits in first place with 2,113 points. Gadson begins the Countdown in third place with 2,080 points.
The RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki team returns to action September 12-15 at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, PA.
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