Gaige Herrera Set Fastest Qualifier and Nearly Extended His Historic Win Streak
Brea, CA (July 22, 2024) - Gaige Herrera’s historic NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle winning streak on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki Gen 3 Hayabusa came to an end with his first loss in nearly a year at the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Seattle, WA, on Sunday.
Race Highlights:
- Gaige Herrera qualified number one; won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, and advanced to his seventh final round appearance of the season, ending his NHRA-record winning streak at 11 straight races, and 46 consecutive round wins.
- Richard Gadson qualified fourth and advanced to the second round of eliminations.
After a two-week break in the NHRA schedule, Herrera ran 6.734 seconds at 201.22 mph on Saturday to claim his fourth number one qualifying spot this season and 18th of his career, moving him into 10th place in the all-time class standings. He also won the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, a race within a race contested during qualifications in which semi-finalists from the previous race compete head-to-head for a cash purse and championship bonus points.
Herrera defeated Eiji Kawakami (foul) in round one with a 6.744-second/199.98 mph pass. His streak nearly came to an early end in round two against Jianna Evaristo (6.704 seconds/203.95 mph), but Herrera used his lightning-quick reflexes on the starting line to win the round on a holeshot, posting a 6.737-second/200.32 mph run to overcome Evaristo’s new track-record elapsed time and speed. Herrera advanced to his 12th-straight and 19th career final round with a 6.781-second/200.17 mph pass on a bye run in the semi-final round.
Gaige Herrera’s (1) NHRA record-setting win streaks ended with a narrow loss in the Northwest Nationals final to Suzuki rider Chase Van Sant.
Herrera’s streak ended in the finals against Suzuki-mounted rider Chase Van Sant, who earned his first career victory with a 6.720-second/201.31 mph run that outpaced Herrera’s 6.754-second/200.80 mph pass. With the loss, Herrera’s consecutive race and elimination-round win streaks ended at 11 and 46, respectively. Prior to the defeat, Herrera had not lost a race or a round of competition for nearly a year, dating back to the Maple Grove race in September 2023. Suzuki congratulates Van Sant on his first NHRA victory, and his earning Suzuki’s twelfth consecutive NHRA final round win.
“Today was a day I probably shouldn’t even have been in the final based on how we were running. Usually when there’s been a change in weather conditions on race day, it’s helped us, but today we were on the wrong side of it. I just squeaked by Jianna in round two. Luckily, I got her on the tree to make it to the final. Chase deserves the win today. He’s been out here working hard, and his Suzuki is running well. I’m happy for him,” Herrera said.
“I’m not disappointed about the streaks coming to an end. It didn’t feel real to me before, but now we can look back and reflect on everything we’ve accomplished as a team that has put us in the NHRA record books. It’s something I never would have dreamed of as a kid, and it’s going to be hard to break them,” Herrera continued. “Now we’ll get ready for the second half of the season and the Countdown to the Championship and try and start a new streak.”
Richard Gadson posted a 6.756-second/199.35 mph run on Saturday to claim the number four starting spot.
In round one, Gadson defeated Chris Bostick (6.831 seconds/195.90 mph) with a 6.748-second/198.70 mph run. In round two, Gadson fell short to Matt Smith (6.735 seconds/201.76 mph) despite posting a quicker reaction time in a 6.794-second/197.59 mph losing effort.
“I feel we’re getting better and hitting our stride, but sometimes when you’re on a quest to find a way to go faster, you take a swing at things that don’t work out the way you had hoped. That’s pretty much what happened today,” Gadson said. “I feel I did a good job riding this weekend. I made solid passes in both rounds, and cut a good light against Matt, but I didn’t have the speed to cover him. I’m looking forward to the next race because I feel it’s all going to come together shortly.”
RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki crew chief Andrew Hines congratulated Van Sant on the win and praised his Vance & Hines team for its record-setting run of performance.
“We’ve won some races on sheer performance and others when we probably shouldn’t have. This was a race I knew was going to be hard once I saw the qualifying performances of some of the other teams. I couldn’t quite get a handle on our motorcycle’s tune, and we were a bit off where we should have been running based on the air conditions. Chase is a good rider and he’s the next up-and-comer, so it’s nice for him to get his first win,” Hines said. “We’ve been writing history with Gaige, Suzuki, and our team here at Vance & Hines for the past year. I’m super proud of the work ethic the guys have shown to turn on the win lights and bring our Hayabusa to the winner’s circle all those races in a row. It’s been cool to bond over that as a team and have fun. This is only going to make us work harder to start another streak. It’s what we live for.”
After the seventh of 15 races in the 2024 season, Herrera and Gadson sit first and third in the Pro Stock Motorcycle standings with 845 and 500 points, respectively.
The RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki team returns to action July 26-28 at the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, CA.
For the latest Suzuki team news, race reports, and information visit SuzukiCycles.com/Racing/Drag-Racing.
About Vance & Hines Motorsports
Vance & Hines Motorsports is a powerhouse in the world of motorcycle racing, boasting a rich legacy of success. With a focus on innovation, performance, and a commitment to pushing boundaries, the team continues to redefine excellence in the NHRA and MotoAmerica. The new website is vanceandhinesmotorsports.com.
Photos courtesy of Matt Polito
