Cycle News Staff | August 1, 2023
For Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Gaige Herrera, the last three weeks on the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle tour have been a blur, but one thing that has been a constant is winning.
Herrera, in his second season in the Camping World NHRA Series, completed one of the rarest feats in drag racing when he swept all three races of the Western Swing, a grueling three-week tour through Denver, Seattle and Sonoma, California. Herrera finished off the extremely rare hat trick on a solo run, making a single in the final of the Denso Sonoma Nationals after Matt Smith’s Denso Suzuki would not start in the final.
It may not have mattered as Herrera rode to a 6.775 elapsed time, maintaining a pace that almost none of his competitors have been able to match.
“I can’t put into words what the last three weeks have been like,” Herrera said. “When we got to Denver three weeks ago, I did not think this [sweep] was possible but our team had the momentum and drive to get it done. I was probably more worried today than I’ve been all season. I had a weird feeling in my gut, especially in the semi’s when I had to race Karen [Stoffer]. Her and [husband] Gary are the ones who gave me a chance to come out here. They taught me a lot, but you never teach someone all your tricks so I was a bit nervous, but it all paid off.”
Herrera is happy to take a win any way he can get it, but the reality is that he didn’t want to make a single run. He would much preferred to have a side-by-side race against Smith, who was plagued by an ignition problem as he tried to fire his bike for the final.
“I hate that we got it that way,” Herrera said. “I waited as long as I could [for Smith’s bike to fire] but at the end of the day I got the win. I’m not a big person to show emotion, but I was yelling and screaming inside my helmet when I crossed the finish line.
“Everything that’s happened this season, has been amazing. I just wish my great grandfather would have been here to see it. He started all of this with our whole family racing.”
Herrera has been a beast in qualifying this year and the Sonoma event was no different as he rode to a 6.728 to lead the 16-bike field. Matt Smith was close behind with a second-best 6.729, but as the event wore on, few could keep pace with the championship leader.
Herrera kicked off eliminations by beating Ryan Oehler and he continued with victories against Marc Ingwersen, and his mentor Karen Stoffer. Herrera made just one questionable run, a 6.836, that was more than enough to get the job done.
Herrera didn’t just win the Sonoma Nationals title, he also grabbed a $15,000 bonus on Saturday for winning the NHRA Allstar Callout, a special event featuring the eight best riders in the class. The format of the event allowed each order to choose their opponent for each round and Herrera picked carefully as he cruised to the title. In the final round, Herrera defeated Angie Smith on her Denso Buell.
Smith was clearly frustrated to lose the final without having a chance to race Herrera, but he’s optimistic that his best days of the season lie ahead of him. In addition to his impressive qualifying performance, Smith also secured wins against Lance Bonham, Steve Johnson and Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Eddie Krawiec.
After three-straight races in three weeks, the Pro Stock Motorcycle class now takes an extended break before returning at the sport’s biggest event, the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on August 30-September 4. That event will set the field for the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race playoff to determine the season champion.
Kevin McKenna
Final
- Gaige Herrera (Suz)
- Matt Smith (Suz)