| October 31, 2023
In a scene that has become all too familiar this year at NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series events, Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Gaige Herrera notched another victory in what has become one of the most dominant seasons in the history of the Pro Stock Motorcycle class.
Gaige Herrera (near lane) went up against his Vance & Hines Suzuki teammate Eddie Krawiec for the fourth time this season and came away with another win.
By Kevin McKenna, Photos by Matt Polito
Herrera defeated teammate Eddie Krawiec in the final round for the fourth time this season, claiming the NHRA Nevada Nationals title at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, October 27-29. Herrera rode to a track record of 6.755 elapsed time in the final round. With his 10th win in 14 events, Herrera has tied former Vance & Hines rider Matt Hines for most wins in a season.
After qualifying number one for the 13th time this year, Herrera reached the final round with victories against Marc Ingwersen and Jerry Savoie. That set up a final-round matchup with his teammate for the fourth time this season.
“This race was really emotional to me. I have a lot of family and friends here, and I had a stellar bike all day,” Herrera said. “All day today, it was a little bit of a challenge with the headwind, riding-wise, and you could definitely feel it. But I had a very good bike all day. It was awesome being in the final against Ed. That’s the third all-Vance & Hines final in a row, and it was a fun final.
“We went up there, and I had a feeling he wasn’t going to stage first, so I just sat there. He revved the throttle at me, and I did it back. Once he did it the second time, I said, ‘Oh, he’s definitely not going in first,’ so I just rolled it in. It knocked me off my game a little, but he shook the tire, and I ended up going a 6.755. It felt like a very smooth, good pass, but I didn’t expect it to go faster than what I qualified with. We’re happy with that, and after this weekend, once I go to Pomona and break the beams, it’s a done deal—that’s very exciting.”
Herrera is poised to wrap up the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship at the next and final round at Pomona.
The done deal that Herrera referred to is the championship, which won’t become official until the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona in two weeks. Herrera will enter the final events of the season with a 181-point advantage over Krawiec, which means he will officially lock up the title as soon as he makes his first qualifying attempt of the weekend.
“It doesn’t feel real,” Herrera said. “I haven’t even woken up yet from the beginning of the season.”
As for Krawiec, he continues to not-so-patiently wait to win his 50th NHRA national event, a mark that has only been achieved by class leader Andrew Hines, who has 56 titles.
Krawiec advanced to the final for the fourth time this season and the 95th time overall by defeating Steve Johnson and Jianna Evaristo. He has had the second-best bike in the class for the last several races but can’t seem to overcome Herrera’s sizable performance advantage. Krawiec was first off the starting line in the final round but his otherwise competitive 6.847-run paled in comparison to Herrera’s 6.755.
While the Vance & Hines team continued their winning ways in Las Vegas, the event also featured a few other memorable moments. Angie Smith, who was injured in an on-track accident in St. Louis last month, returned to ride her Denso Buell if only to accumulate qualifying points. Smith suffered several broken bones and enough road rash to require skin grafts but was cleared to ride. Looking to preserve her spot in the top 10, Smith qualified in the number 16 spot but did not appear for her round-one match against Herrera. The strategy paid off, as Smith is number eight in the standings heading into the final event in Pomona. She is 46 points ahead of number 10 Kelly Clontz.
The final event of the season will take place on November 9-12 at In-N-Out Pomona Raceway in Pomona, California.
FINAL FINISHING ORDER PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: 1. Gaige Herrera; 2. Eddie Krawiec; 3. Jianna Evaristo; 4. Jerry Savoie; 5. John Hall; 6. Steve Johnson; 7. Marc Ingwersen; 8. Joey Gladstone; 9. Hector Arana Jr; 10. Matt Smith; 11. Kelly Clontz; 12. Ryan Oehler; 13. Chris Bostick; 14. Blaine Hale; 15. Karen Stoffer; 16. Angie Smith.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.755, 198.32 def. Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.847, 198.70.
Pro Stock Motorcycle Points Standings: 1. Gaige Herrera, 2,690; 2. Eddie Krawiec, 2,509; 3. Matt Smith, 2,421; 4. Hector Arana Jr, 2,419; 5. Jianna Evaristo, 2,276; 6. Chase Van Sant, 2,254; 7. Marc Ingwersen, 2,243; 8. Angie Smith, 2,234; 9. Steve Johnson, 2,223; 10. Kelly Clontz, 2,188.
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