Gaige Herrera Wins NHRA Midwest Nationals Final
Gaige Herrera defeated teammate Richard Gadson in the Pro Stock Motorcycle final at the NHRA Midwest Nationals.
Gaige Herrera defeated teammate Richard Gadson in the NHRA Midwest Nationals final. His 6.710-second run at 200.98 mph beat Gadson's 6.763-second effort, delivering Herrera his third victory of the season and the 31st of his career. The event was held at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois.
Championship implications
Herrera's win dramatically reshaped the championship battle. It cut his deficit to Gadson in the Countdown to the Championship standings in half, leaving him just 32 points behind. This win dropped Matt Smith to fourth in the overall standings, 113 points behind the leader. Gadson now holds a 105-point lead over third-placed John Hall. At the halfway point of the Countdown, Gadson and Herrera sit first and second with 2,380 and 2,348 points respectively.
Season context and rivalry
The final was another chapter in the season-long duel between the teammates. Herrera advanced to his 37th career final round and his fifth this season. Gadson reached his seventh final-round appearance of the year. The duo are now tied with two wins each in their four head-to-head final-round matchups this season.
Race progression
Herrera dominated qualifying, taking the number one spot with a 6.644-second pass at 202.76 mph. That was his best run of the season, the quickest in the class so far, and just .017 second off his national record. He then marched through eliminations.
| Rider | Round | Opponent | Herrera's ET/MPH | Opponent's ET/MPH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaige Herrera | 1 | Malcom Phillips Jr. | 6.693 / 201.49 | 6.912 / 193.38 |
| Gaige Herrera | 2 | Bye Run | 6.703 / 201.01 | - |
| Gaige Herrera | Semifinal | Ryan Oehler | 6.710 / 200.62 | 6.765 / 198.41 |
| Gaige Herrera | Final | Richard Gadson | 6.710 / 200.98 | 6.763 / 200.08 |
Gadson, who qualified seventh with a 6.729-second pass, had his own path to the final.
| Rider | Round | Opponent | Gadson's ET/MPH | Opponent's ET/MPH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Gadson | 1 | Chase Van Sant | 6.755 / 200.14 | 6.850 / 196.93 |
| Richard Gadson | 2 | Matt Smith | 6.760 / 199.58 | 6.930 / 167.84 |
| Richard Gadson | Semifinal | John Hall | 6.764 / 199.94 | 6.854 / 194.46 |
Reflecting on his tough second-round draw, Richard Gadson said, "After qualifying, I’d be lying if I said I felt great about that matchup against Matt in round two."
Team and technical notes
Herrera raced a Gen 3 Suzuki Hayabusa for the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines team. He praised the track surface and his crew chief, Andrew Hines. "The track was really good all weekend and Andrew Hines had my bike on rails, going 1.01 seconds in the 60-foot," Herrera noted, also marking his fourth consecutive win at the St. Louis track. His gameplan is simple: keep going from A to B on every pass, have fun, and see how it plays out.
Crew chief Andrew Hines said the cool fall weather and sticky track allowed the Hayabusas to launch swiftly. The quick 60-foot times helped generate quicker elapsed times. Hines noted everything went like clockwork for Herrera, but they need incremental gains for Gadson's motorcycle. It is a matter of a hundredth of a second here or there.
Three rounds remain in the season. The RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines team returns October 16-18 for round four at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas.
