PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals
Virginia Motorsports Park
June 21-23, 2024

Pro Stock Motorcycle

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera added yet another record in his amazing two-year run on Sunday, going 6.755 at 199.26 on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki to defeat teammate Richard Gadson in the final round. With the victory, the defending world champion set the record for the most consecutive wins in NHRA history, winning his 10th straight race on his Suzuki and eclipsing the previous mark set by Bob Glidden.

He also now has 39 straight round wins, setting that record on Sunday as well. Herrera, who stayed undefeated in 2024 and hasn’t lost since early September of last year, defeated Chris Bostick and John Hall to reach the finals, picking up his fifth victory of the year and 16th since the beginning of last year, continuing an absolutely historic and dominant run.

“It’s kind of hard to process all of it,” Herrera said. “The amount of accomplishments that have been achieved in such a short time, I tried to sit back and just think about it, and it’s very hard, because there are so many of them. I have to thank Andrew [Hines, crew chief] and basically picking me out of a haystack to ride for them. I’ve got to give it all up to Andrew and all the guys at the shop. None of this is possible without them.

“It’s very surreal. Getting the 10 consecutive wins, I think that’s the biggest thing that really hasn’t set in. Last year, we were feeling like we were doing very good and making everyone else have to step up, so this year, if we go out there and do like we did last year, I think this year is really going to hit us in the face and make us realize what we’re doing right now.”

Gadson reached his first career final round after defeating Eiji Kawakami, Jianna Evaristo and Hector Arana Jr.

Eliminations Round 1

W – Jianna Evaristo – 0.022 / 6.905 / 195.73
L – Steve Johnson – 0.054 / 6.934 / 192.85
Evaristo with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win.

W – Hector Arana Jr – 0.046 / 6.920 / 193.74
L – Marc Ingwersen – 0.046 / 6.989 / 193.13
Hector Arana Jr. Is 129 – 51 (72%) in Rd. 1. Marc Ingwersen is 0 – 4 against Arana Jr. Arana Jr is 4 – 0 against Ingwersen in prior events. They have identical reaction times, but it is all Arana Jr. from there on for the win.

W – John Hall – 0.027 / 6.884 / 197.36
L – Kelly Clontz – 0.108 / 6.889 / 196.19
John Hall wins 75% of his Rd. 1 races when he has lane choice. Kelly Clontz is making her 69th start. Hall with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Clontz with her quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.

W – Chase Van Sant – 0.033 / 6.826 / 197.68
L – Ron Tornow – 0.022 / 6.966 / 195.90
Chase Van Sant is 11 – 6 in Rd. 1. Ron Tornow lost to Van Sant in Rd. 1 in Bristol. Tornow with the starting line advantage, but Van Sant has the lead as they go by the Christmas tree and never trails from there on for the win. Van Sant with the quickest pass of race day. He will have lane choice over Hall in the next round.

W – Angie Smith – 0.016 / 6.809 / 199.91
L – Matt Smith – 0.063 / 6.783 / 199.94
Matt Smith is 19 – 4 against Angie and 11 – 2 against her in Rd. 1. Angie with th starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. She will have lane choice over Arana Jr. in the next round. Angie Smith’s MOV: 0.0217 seconds (approximately 6 feet). Matt runs low E.T. of race day in the losing effort.

W – Richard Gadson – 0.059 / 6.871 / 197.59
L – Eiji Kawakami – 0.011 / 7.146 / 185.46
The #2 PSM qualifier is 7 – 0 in Rd. 1 at this event. Eiji Kawakami is making his 13th start. Kawakami with a great light, but Gadson has the lead by 330 feet and never trails for the win.

W – Gaige Herrera – 0.031 / 6.803 / 198.50
L – Chris Bostick – 0.007 / 6.870 / 194.41
The #1 PSM qualifier is 7 – 0 in Rd. 1 at this event. Chris Bostick is making his 56th start. He is 0 – 2 against Herrera. Bostick with a great light, but Herrera has the lead by half track and takes the win. He sets the record for most consecutive round wins at 36. He will have a bye in the next round. He makes the second quickest pass of race day.

Eliminations Round 2

W – Richard Gadson – 0.027 / 6.906 / 196.87
L – Jianna Evaristo – 0.067 / 6.871 / 198.64
Evaristo is 1 – 0 against Gadson in prior events. Gadson with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win.

W – John Hall – 0.049 / 6.851 / 151.19
L – Chase Van Sant – -0.002 / 6.836 / 197.59
Hall is 1 – 0 against Van Sant in prior events. Van Sant is a couple tick too quick on the tree and turns it red to give Hall the freebie.

W – Hector Arana Jr – -0.009 / 6.892 / 196.44
L – Angie Smith – -0.034 / 6.834 / 160.12
Arana Jr is 20 – 7 against Smith in prior events. Smith goes red to give Arana Jr. the win. Arana Jr. will have lane choice over Gadson in the semifinal.

W – Gaige Herrera – 0.030 / 6.782 / 196.50
L – EARNED BYE
Herrera with the quickest pass of the round on the bye run. He will have lane choice over Hall in the next round.

Semi-Final

W – Richard Gadson – 0.012 / 6.813 / 198.09
L – Hector Arana Jr – -0.064 / 9.421 / 92.93
Gadson is 1 – 0 against Arana Jr in prior events. Arana Jr. goes red to give Gadson the win, who has a great light. Gadson is advancing his first final round.

W – Gaige Herrera – 0.084 / 6.760 / 199.70
L – John Hall – 0.053 / 6.816 / 198.58
Herrera is 3 – 0 against Hall in prior events. Hall with the starting line advantage, but Herrera chases him down by half track and takes the win. Gaige Herrera’s MOV: 0.0253 seconds (approximately 7 feet). He will have lane choice over Gadson in the final. Herrera is advancing to his fifth final round this season and 17th of his career.

Final

WIN – Gaige Herrera – 0.022 / 6.755 / 199.26
RU – Richard Gadson – 0.022 / 6.786 / 198.32
This is the first time Gadson and Herrera have faced each other in eliminations. They have identical reaction times and Gadson has the lead early. Herrera has the lead by half track and takes the win. He just continues to break record, now 10 wins in a row. Gaige Herrera’s MOV: 0.0315 seconds (approximately 9 feet).

Points Standings

Point standings (top 10) following the Fourth annual PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, the ninth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

1. Gaige Herrera, 618
2. Richard Gadson, 365
3. Matt Smith, 362
4. John Hall, 332
5. Chase Van Sant, 294
6. Angie Smith, 291
7. Hector Arana Jr, 268
8. Jianna Evaristo, 242
9. LE Tonglet, 233
10. Steve Johnson, 18

QUALIFYING – SATURDAY

On the hunt for history this weekend, Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera threw down something spectacular to open qualifying on Saturday, going 6.703 at 200.83 on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. That set the track E.T. record and handed the defending world champion his third No. 1 qualifier this year and the 17th in his career. More importantly, it puts Herrera in a great spot to potentially make more NHRA history.

He’s currently tied with legendary Pro Stock driver Bob Glidden for the most consecutive wins (9) and round wins (35) in NHRA history and can set the new mark with a memorable Saturday at a track that has served him well throughout his career.

“To be honest, on that 6.70, we were expecting a .72. We just happened to catch it before it really got hot out there today,” Herrera said. “Obviously these are the kinds of conditions we will be racing tomorrow., so we’re going in there with a lot of confidence.

“If I can (break the record), it’s going to be awesome. I’m happy with just tying Bob Glidden and to have my name in the same sentence as Bob. If I do it, that it’d be awesome, but going into tomorrow, no, I’m not thinking about it.”

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