| September 20, 2022
Two months ago, Reed Motorsports’ Joey Gladstone was anxiously awaiting his chance to win his first NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle event and now, he’s got three wins, and he’s the frontrunner to win the Camping World NHRA Series World Championship. Gladstone’s most recent win came in Reading, Pennsylvania, September 16-18, during the first round of the Countdown to the Championship, the five-race dash to determine the season champions.
By Kevin McKenna
After being bumped to second place with an early loss at the recent U.S. Nationals, Gladstone recaptured the points lead by beating Denso Buell’s Angie Smith, who fouled at the start in the final round. Gladstone put together a strong run of 6.835 at 196.93 mph to win for the third time in the last four races.
“This is the playoffs, so this win is big,” Gladstone said. “[Incoming point leader] Matt Smith has been a strong force, so to be able to get a good edge is awesome. We’ll need it because he hauls butt. Everyone in this class is so tough, everybody is a contender. I’m proud of my team and proud of my tuner, Cecil Towner. Today is also my daughter, Olivia’s, birthday. It was a really special day and how memorable is it to do this on her birthday.”
Gladstone remains at a loss to explain why he struggled two weeks ago at Indy, but he quickly bounced back in Reading with a solid performance throughout the event. Gladstone qualified number eight in the quick field with a 6.798 elapsed time but was not far behind leader Matt Smith, who used a 6.741 to grab the pole on his Denso Buell. Gladstone rolled through Sunday’s final eliminations with wins against Hector Arana Jr., Matt Smith and Marc Ingwersen before racing Angie Smith in the final. The race against Matt Smith was easily the most critical, as the winner was almost certain to leave with the championship lead. Gladstone got away from the starting line first, and then won by a slim 6.815 to 6.818 margin. The two bikes were separated by just a hundredth of a second at the finish line.
VIDEO | Matt Smith Powers to No.1 Qualifier in Reading
“Any day you can beat one Smith is a good day—but two Smiths? That’s a big deal,” Gladstone said. “Matt is a heck of a competitor. He’s got five World Championships for a reason. Growing up, he was one of my idols, and I have a lot of respect for him. I’ve also never beaten him when he’s riding his Buell so that was also a big deal.
“It’s also huge to win here at Maple Grove Raceway,” Gladstone continued. “This is almost home for me. I grew up at this track and spent a lot of time here. To win a race at this place, in front of packed grandstands, caps off what has been a perfect day. I don’t think I could ask for anything more.”
Angie Smith waited until the first race of the playoffs to score one of her best results of the season, as she earned victories against Ron Tornow, Eddie Krawiec and defending event winner Steve Johnson. The two Smith bikes were also the fastest with each Denso Buell running over 201 mph.
VIDEO | Joey Gladstone Wins in Reading
The Reading event was great for Gladstone and the Smiths, but it was a disaster for Vance & Hines riders Angelle Sampey and Eddie Krawiec, both of whom suffered quarterfinal losses via a starting line holeshot. Sampey ran a 6.90 but lost to Ingwersen’s 6.96. Krawiec joined Sampey on the sidelines when his 6.81 lost to Angie Smith’s slower 6.84.
With four races remaining in the season, Gladstone holds a 29-point advantage over Matt Smith, while Steve Johnson remains in the mix, 42 points behind. Angie Smith, Sampey, Ingwersen and Krawiec are all within 100 points of the lead, meaning the championship is very much up in the air.
The series will now head to Concord, NC this weekend for the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway.
2022 Pennsylvania NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Results
ROUND ONE — Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.821, 198.52 def. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, Foul – Red Light; Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.795, 198.44 def. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, Foul – Red Light; Angie Smith, 6.796, 199.52 def. Ron Tornow, 6.982, 191.95; Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.836, 194.66 def. Chris Bostick, Buell, 6.911, 195.28; Marc Ingwersen, 6.893, 196.99 def. Scotty Pollacheck, 6.889, 197.36; Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.785, 198.32 def. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.891, 195.65; Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 6.904, 199.23 def. Jianna Evaristo, Suzuki, 6.903, 194.16; Matt Smith, 6.761, 201.82 def. Ryan Oehler, 7.196, 178.24;
QUARTERFINALS — Ingwersen, 6.962, 194.72 def. Sampey, 6.902, 197.19; A.Smith, 6.841, 198.90 def. Krawiec, 6.815, 198.50; Johnson, 6.867, 195.05 def. Savoie, 6.892, 194.13; Gladstone, 6.815, 197.51 def. M. Smith, 6.818, 199.61;
SEMIFINALS — A. Smith, 6.849, 198.61 def. Johnson, 6.945, 194.69; Gladstone, 6.869, 196.90 def. Ingwersen, 6.927, 195.73;
FINAL — Gladstone, 6.835, 196.93 def. A. Smith, Foul – Red Light.
Pro Stock Motorcycle Point Standings
- Joey Gladstone (2193/3 wins)
- Matt Smith (2164/3 wins)
- Steve Johnson (2151/2 wins)
- Angie Smith (2144)
- Angelle Sampey (2115/1 win)
- Marc Ingwersen (2104)
- Eddie Krawiec (2103)
- Jerry Savoie (2089/1 win)
- Karen Stoffer (2077/1 win)
- Ryan Oehler (2056)