For much of the 2025 NHRA season, the Vance & Hines team has dominated the Pro Stock Motorcycle class, but there have been exceptions. John Hall chalked up a win for the Matt Smith Racing team in Sonoma in July, and Hall repeated the feat at this weekend’s Reading Nationals, the first event in NHRA’s six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
Story by Kevin McKenna | Photos by Matt Polito
Hall earned his second win of the season and the fourth of his career when he stopped team owner and crew chief Matt Smith in the final round. Hall, on his American Rebel Light/Matt Smith Racing Buell, left the starting line first and never trailed as he finished with a 6.802 elapsed time at 199 mph. Smith came into the final nursing a wounded engine, and it finally gave up before the finish line as he slowed to a 6.950 at just 167 mph.
“They’re all special for me, but to do it in the Countdown [playoffs] is great because, I mean, there’s six races in the Countdown, you’ve got to bring your A-game,” Hall said. “We had a new tire on there that wasn’t working for us. We put the old tire back on for [Sunday] and that worked out. We ran four 6.80s in a row. The track was great; thank you to the Koretsky family for the great track and to MSR for a great bike.
“It is great that they gave me this opportunity,” Hall said. “Matt Smith and Angie Smith gave me an opportunity to come out here and compete—probably in the later stages of my career—and I’m just thankful for everything.”
Hall kicked off race day with a win against Kelly Clontz and then fired a big shot in the second round with a win against back-to-back World champ Gaige Herrera. Hall ran a 6.806 for the victory and then scored an equally impressive win against rookie Brayden Davis, setting up the matchup with Smith. It was the first MSR-versus-MSR matchup in the final round since Sonoma last season.
Smith, seeking a record seventh championship, scored wins against Brandon Litten, Jianna Evaristo and Richard Gadson, though his Denso Buell sounded the alarm by getting progressively slower with each round. It was Smith’s fourth final this year and 85th in his career.
Smith’s crew chief, Michael Ray, admitted that the team was dealing with engine issues on Sunday and had hoped to just be able to survive four elimination rounds.
For the Vance & Hines team, Herrera, Gadson and Davis captured three of the top four spots during qualifying, but that success did not carry over to eliminations. With Hall and Smith going to the final round, and Herrera and Gadson losing earlier in the day, the points standings are scrambled heading into next weekend’s event in Charlotte.
Despite the final-round loss, Smith moved into the points lead. He leads Herrera and Hall by just six points, with Gadson just nine points back in fourth. There are five events remaining in the season, although the final event in Pomona, California, offers points-and-a-half.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action September 19-21 with the NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway in Charlotte. For the first time ever, an NHRA playoff event will feature the unique four-wide format. Earlier this season, Matt Smith defeated Richard Gadson in the spring Charlotte event, which is also a four-wide race.CN
2025 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 10 Results
FINAL
- John Hall (Bue) 6.802 – 199 mph
- Matt Smith (Bue) 6.950 – 167 mph
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