| May 1, 2024
The rest of the field has closed the gap a bit, but at the end of the day, RevZilla Suzuki’s Gaige Herrera is still the class of the field in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle class. Herrera, who made history last year by winning 11 of 15 events in his first season with the Vance & Hines team, is now a perfect two-for-two this season after winning the Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Charlotte, April 26-28.
Gaige Herrera won his first Four-Wide National.
By Kevin McKenna | Photos by Matt Polito
The Four-Wide Nationals is a once-a-year phenomenon in NHRA races featuring four bikes on track at the same time. In each heat, the winner and the second-place rider advance to the final “quad” in which the winner is determined.
The format can be a bit confusing, even to veteran racers, but Herrera had no problems as he cruised to his 13th win since the start of the 2023 season. Herrera was first off the starting line in the final and won with a 6.68 elapsed time while MSR Racing Buell’s John Hall finished second at 6.75. Richard Gadson was third and LE Tonglet was fourth after a red-light start.
“After Q1 and Q2, I was a bit worried. One, the first run we had a malfunction in our wiring, and then after the second run, Matt [Smith] held on to the top spot and that’s because of the rule change,” said Herrera, referring to a recent NHRA rules revision that mandated the same fuel type for both V-twin and inline four-cylinder bikes. “It has created parity and made for better racing. We still had three Vance & Hines bikes in the final four.
“In the end, me and [crew chief] Andrew Hines and the bike bond so well,” Herrera said. “We’re a hard combo to beat. It’s going to take a motor blowing up or something crazy to stop us. This is just the beginning. It’s all the haters that make us push that much harder, and we’re out there to prove them all wrong.”
Matt Smith, a two-time zMAX Dragway winner, started off the weekend strong in qualifying, but didn’t make it to the winner’s circle this time.
Herrera was the top qualifier in Charlotte with a 6.67 best, but his advantage was slim as Denso Buell’s Matt Smith was close behind at 6.68 following a recent NHRA.
With his advantage over the rest of the field greatly reduced, Herrera simply relied on quick reaction times and consistent runs to get the job done. In the first heat, Herrea stopped Chase Van Sant, Steve Johnson, and Hector Arana Sr.
Herrera went to the final after winning his second head against John Hall, Angie Smith, and Chase Van Sant. In both races, he had the quickest bike in the field.
Hall was credited with a runner-up finish in his second event following a return to Matt Smith’s MSR team. The past U.S. Nationals winner made some of the quickest runs of his career during the event, including a 6.72 in qualifying.
On race day, Hall defeated Angie Smith, Marc Ingwersen, and Chris Bostick in round one and then finished second to Herrera in the semi-finals to earn a spot in the final quad.
With his seventh straight win, Herrera is also within striking distance of the record of eight wins set by late Hall of Famer Dave Schultz during the 1993 season. The sense of history isn’t lost on Herrera, who will have a chance to tie the record at the next Pro Stock Motorcycle event at Route 66 Raceway near Chicago next month.
“It’s hard to put into words what that means,” Herrera said. “I grew up watching Dave, and to have my name anywhere near his would be amazing. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but I like where we’re at right now.”
VIDEO | Gaige Herrera wins back-to-back Four-Wide Nationals
2024 NHRA Four-Wide Pro Stock Motorcycle Results
FINAL
- Gaige Herrera (Suz)
- John Hall (Bue)
