Gladstone Gets Long-Awaited
First NHRA Win
A
ppearing in his third-straight
NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle final
round, Reed Motorsports Suzuki's
Joey Gladstone finally earned his
long-overdue first NHRA victory at the
Sonoma Nationals.
For years, Gladstone has been
regarded as one of the most talented
riders in all of motorcycle drag rac-
ing. He's won on almost every bike
imaginable, including 230-mph "no
wheelie bar" bikes, but conquering
the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle class
has proven to be his Achilles' heel.
Appearing in his fourth career final,
Gladstone finally got to hoist one of
the prized NHRA "Wally" trophies after
defeating Vance & Hines Suzuki's Ed-
die Krawiec in the final round. Glad-
stone not only won the race, but also
got to display his riding prowess with a
starting-line holeshot that allowed him
to beat Krawiec with a slightly slower
elapsed time, 6.759 to 6.758. Glad-
stone finished with a 200.44-mph top
speed to Krawiec's 199.67.
"I never thought I'd see this day. No,
that's a lie," said Gladstone. "I saw
the light at the end of the tunnel and
thought I could do this. I've dedicated
20 years of my life to this, and now
I've accomplished it."
For all of his success, Gladstone's
path to success has not been easy.
IN
THE
WIND
P32
(Below) Angelle
Sampey still leads
the championship
but not by much. She
leads Gladstone by
just two points.
Joey Gladstone finally
nabbed his first NHRA
Pro Stock Motorcycle
victory.
PHOTOS: MATT POLITO
