RevZilla/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Gaige Herrera has practically owned the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle class for the last three seasons, so for the two-time World Champion to have just one win in the first five races of the 2026 season was a bit of a mystery.
Story by Kevin McKenna
Herrera fixed that this weekend at the Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee, where he turned in a vintage performance to claim his second win of the season and the 30th of his brilliant career. In the final round, Herrera took down his Vance & Hines teammate, Richard Gadson, with a run of 6.838 seconds at 198.47 mph.
The win was especially gratifying for Herrera since it came on the heels of a very rare round-one loss at the most recent NHRA event in Budds Creek, Maryland.
“After Maryland, me and Andrew [Hines, crew chief] and I were beating our heads against the wall trying to figure out what happened,” Herrera said. “It felt like we had some bad luck hanging over us, but it feels good to come here and get the win.”
The Maryland event clearly in his rearview mirror, Herrera’s performance in Bristol is much closer to what fans have seen the last three years as he rolled to the number-one qualifier position and then ousted Joey Gladstone and Steve Johnson to reach the final round for the 34th time in just 56 career races, the best winning percentage of an NHRA pro in any category.
In the final, Gadson left the starting line first with a stellar 0.018 reaction time, but Herrera chased him down to get things back on track.
“I wouldn’t say, ‘I’m back,’ but it definitely feels good to get the win and build some confidence heading into the next race in Norwalk [Ohio]. As we get closer and closer to the Countdown, I feel like my bike is back where it needs to be. Winning with Richard in the final was pretty cool. It reminded me of last year when he got his first win. We’ve got a lot of fun with it, but I’m glad to be the one taking home the trophy this time.”
Gadson went to his second straight final round at Bristol and the 13th in his career following wins over Wesley Wells, Chase Van Sant and Chris Bostick. He stays in the points lead, holding a 68-point advantage over Angie Smith, with Herrera in third.
The Bristol race also featured an appearance by three-time National event winner Joey Gladstone, who returned to the class as a replacement rider for six-time world champ Matt Smith, who is continuing to recover from a recent surgery. Gladstone quickly adapted to Smith’s Denso Buell and earned a key round win over teammate John Hall before dropping a close race against Gadson in round two. Gladston, who can earn points for Smith under NHRA’s medical replacement policy, is expected to be on the bike for the next two events, with Smith scheduled to return at the U.S. Nationals in late August.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action June 25-28 with the 20th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.CN
2026 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 6 Results
ROUND ONE — Joey Gladstone, Buell, 6.894, 196.53 def. John Hall, 6.957, 196.70; Angie Smith, Buell, 6.904, 196.30 def. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.133, 193.13; Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.970, 195.68 def. Brayden Davis, Buell, Foul – Red Light; Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.934, 194.55 def. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.938, 196.10; Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.996, 193.57 def. Ryan Oehler, Foul – Red Light; Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.969, 191.05 def. Marc Ingwersen, 7.015, 190.86; Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.846, 196.82 def. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, Foul – Red Light; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.840, 198.03 was unopposed;
QUARTERFINALS — Johnson, 6.915, 193.85 def. Clontz, 6.963, 195.31; Bostick, 6.986, 194.58 def. Smith, Foul – Red Light; Gadson, 6.851, 197.45 def. Van Sant, 7.616, 134.75; Herrera, 6.804, 198.67 def. Gladstone, 6.908, 196.82;
SEMIFINALS — Gadson, 6.891, 195.96 def. Bostick, 15.822, 47.56; Herrera, 6.985, 173.43 def. Johnson, 9.452, 91.47;
FINAL
1. Gaige Herrera (.033) 6.838-198.47
2. Richard Gadson (.018) 6.883-196.36
Click here to read the 2026 Thunder Valley Nationals Results in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
