After a rare early loss at the playoff opener in Michigan and a red-light start a week later in Rockingham, North Carolina, RevZilla/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Gaige Herrera was in danger of falling out of contention for his third NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle title.
Herrera corrected that with a dominant victory at the NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis, October 2-4, where he defeated teammate and championship leader Richard Gadson to win for the third time this season and return to title contention.
Kevin McKenna
Herrera was strong all weekend and capped the win with a 6.710 elapsed time at 200.98 mph to defeat Gadson’s 6.763 at 200.08.
The victory was also Herrera’s fourth straight win at World Wide Technology Raceway, a spectacular streak that comes at a critical point in the season during the NHRA Countdown to the championship playoffs.
“The Countdown, the last six races, is when it all matters,” Herrera said. “Getting this win here in St. Louis means a lot. St. Louis holds a special place in my heart. I don’t know what it is about this place, but it’s always been very good to me. I wish we had all the races here.”
Herrera’s latest St. Louis win might have been his most impressive, as he broke the track record during qualifying with a 6.644, the quickest run of the season so far. Herrera also defeated Malcolm Phillips and Ryan Oehler to reach the final round.
Herrera became the third different rider in as many races to win in the Countdown, closing in on Gadson’s points lead. Herrera now trails his teammate by just 32 points with three races remaining, which means a thrilling duel between the two teammates who have won the last three world titles could be coming.
“Racing Richard in the final puts a lot of pressure on me,” Herrera said. “He’s the man on the [Christmas tree]. He’s very consistent, and it was awesome to race him in the final. I felt like I was pushing myself too hard over the last couple of races. This whole weekend, I kept reminding myself, ‘I’m living the dream, I’m having fun,’ and that’s what it’s all about.”
“This is a big deal for me. Points-wise, we gained a little bit on my teammate. He still has the points lead, but it’s going to be a dogfight.”
Gadson, who stayed in the points lead thanks to his seventh final round appearance of the season, defeated Chase Van Sant, Matt Smith and Michigan winner John Hall on Sunday.
While Gadson and Herrera lead, they aren’t the only contenders for the 2026 Pro Stock Motorcycle title. John Hall, Matt Smith, and Ryan Oehler are within 119 points of first place. With three events left, including the season’s final event in Pomona, California, which awards points-and-a-half, there are ample opportunities to make up ground.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action October 14-18 with the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex in Dallas.CN
2026 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 11 Results
FINAL
- Gaige Herrera (Suz) (.035) 6.710-200.98 mph
- Richard Gadson (Suz) (.023) 6.763-200.08 mph
