V
eteran rider and crew
chief Andrew Hines
can't exactly recall when
he and the rest of the Vance &
Hines team saw in Gaige Herrera
that made them say, "That's our
guy," but whatever it was, their
instincts proved to be correct,
and their decision to hire a rela
-
tive unknown paid off in spades
with a 14th World title for the
most dominant team in the his
-
tory of motorcycle drag racing.
Herrera, who turned 30 on
September 28, is a fourth-
generation racer who grew up in
California and made a name for
himself in the world of grudge
and no (wheelie) bar racing.
He dreamed of getting a shot
at the NHRA "Big Show" in the
Pro Stock Motorcycle class, but
honestly never expected that to
become a reality.
Herrera's first break came
in 2022 when he got a chance
to race a Suzuki for longtime
NHRA racers Gary and Karen
Stoffer. The bike wasn't overly
competitive, but Herrera jumped
at the chance to ride. He com
-
peted in the final six events of
the season and qualified four
INTERVIEW I 2023 NHRA PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE CHAMPION GAIGE HERRERA
P96
IN HIS FIRST SEASON
AS A MEMBER OF
THE VANCE & HINES/
MISSION FOODS
SUZUKI TEAM, GAIGE
HERRERA RE-WROTE
THE HISTORY BOOKS
IN 2023 ON HIS WAY
TO THE NHRA PRO
STOCK MOTORCYCLE
CHAMPIONSHIP.
HERRERA
WAS NEARLY
UNSTOPPABLE AS HE
RODE TO A RECORD 11
WINS IN 15 EVENTS.
BY KEVIN MCKENNA • PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT POLITO
