| October 15, 2024
In the nearly 75-year history of NHRA Drag Racing, no one has gotten 20 wins quicker than Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Gaige Herrera. Competing in his 34th event, the RevZilla Vance & Hines rider won again at the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals in Dallas to achieve another career milestone.
Gaige Herrera celebrates winning the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals in Dallas. Photos: Matt Polito
Kevin McKenna | Photos: Matt Polito
Herrera won for the second straight year at the Texas Motorplex after defeating Denso Buell’s Matt Smith in the final round with a run of 6.816 at 200.56 on his Suzuki.
Herrera was also the number-one qualifier and now has nine victories in 13 races during the 2024 season. To reach the final round on Sunday, Herrera got past Trick Tools Suzuki’s Chase Van Sant and Scrappers Racing Buell’s Jianna Evaristo. In the final round, Smith left the starting line first and appeared headed for a victory, but the six-time World Champion ran into trouble when his bike wouldn’t shift into high gear. That allowed Herrera to cruise to his second straight victory in the Countdown to the Championship.
“Today means a lot,” Herrera said. “I had more luck on my side today than performance, for sure. I was sleeping on one of the lights, and Chase [Van Sant] went red [fouled], and in the final there, Matt would have had me. Luck was definitely on my side, and I’d rather be lucky than good any day. My bike ran well all day with the heat, considering. I made a few little mistakes, but, all in all, I’m glad to go home with the win and another cowboy hat.”
Herrera led the championship standings until the Charlotte round, where he slipped to second behind Smith. Back-to-back wins in St. Louis and Dallas have given the defending World Champion a 62-point lead over Smith heading into the season’s final two races. Each round win equals 20 points, while the final in Pomona, California, features a bonus structure with each round valued at 30 points.
Herrera gladly accepted the win in the final after Matt Smith’s bike suffered a mechanical while leading.
Smith has six World titles and he’s shown lately that he’s not about to give up without a fight to the finish, so Herrera understands there is still much work to be done.
“This Countdown has been pretty tight,” Herrera said. “We all know there was some trash talk, so for us to not have the performance advantage and get the win, it means a lot to me. This season, it just means a lot more each round win we get. This year has been a lot more pressure for me as a rider. Each round and win means so much more this time. I’m kind of just showing my real side and not holding it in anymore.”
Smith reached his fifth final round in 2024, and he’s now achieved 40 wins in 80 final rounds in his career thanks to victories against Malcolm Phillips Jr., Marc Ingwersen, and GETTRX Buell’s Hector Arana Jr., the defending Dallas winner. Smith had the quickest bike in both the second and third rounds on Sunday and appeared well ahead of Herrera until his 200-mph Buell encountered a mechanical issue.
The next event for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class will be the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas, October 31-November 3, followed by the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, California, November 14-17.
FINAL ELIMINATION
- Gaige Herrera (0.033) 6.816-200.56
- Matt Smith (0.026) 7.703-125.55
