VOLUME ISSUE DECEMBER , P99
the first true test for Herrera, and
he passed with flying colors.
Herrera didn't just win the race,
he dominated with the quickest
runs of the weekend, including
a 6.68 that was the second-best
run in the history of the class.
Herrera also topped 203 mph in
his 2023 debut. From that point
forward, he never trailed in the
points standings.
"By the time we got to Gaines
-
ville, I'd made enough [testing]
runs that I felt really good on the
bike," Herrera said. "For me, the
biggest challenge was racing in
front of big crowds and dealing
with TV cameras and the media.
I sort of just had to block it all
out and tell myself to just focus
on riding the motorcycle. Hon
-
estly, I'm not a big talker. I still
get a bit nervous when there's a
camera around, but I'm getting
used to it."
As it turns out, Herrera's
Gainesville win was just the
opening act in a highlight show
that would be repeated many
times during the course of the
season. He went on to win in
Charlotte and Chicago and
didn't suffer his first loss until
the final round in Bristol, where
he proved he was human with
a red-light start against veteran
Steve Johnson.
Early on, it was impossible
not to notice that Herrera's riding
style is very different from most
of his competitors. In drag racing,
the starting-line launch means
everything, and Herrera is able to
throw his body weight forward in
order to get the 625-pound (with
rider) Suzuki moving quickly.
That alone has helped give him
an edge over his opponents.
Terry Vance and the Vance & Hines/
Mission Foods Suzuki Team took a
chance to hire Herrera after opting
not to re-sign drag racing superstar
Angelle Sampey for the 2023 season.
