are numbered. Herrera was
number two in qualifying with a
6.733 and then rode to victories
against Wes Wells, John Hall
and Maple Grove Raceway Suzu-
ki's LE Tonglet to reach the final.
Early on, Herrera made headlines
with a 6.694, the quickest run of
the event.
"I did not expect that run," Her
-
rera said. "We'd had a headwind,
but it died down a bit just before
we ran, and that helped us. That
run required almost no correc
-
tion, so that was also a factor.
My hat's off to Drew [Hines, crew
chief] and the Vance & Hines
guys. We started using a new
[NHRA-mandated] fuel at the
last race, and I think we've got a
handle on it."
Van Sant won last year's
Rookie of the Year award even
though his 2023 season was cut
short after he was injured in a
late-season incident in Dallas.
Fully recovered, he's regained
his confidence and advanced to
his first career final at Route 66
Raceway.
The number-eight qualifier
with a 6.822, Van Sant, topped
Steve Johnson in round one and
then scored a big upset against
low qualifier Matt Smith in round
two, winning a 6.808 to 6.812
match. Van Sant then stopped
Smith's wife, Angie, in the semi-
final round to reach the final.
"We're making steady prog
-
ress so this was a good day,"
said Van Sant. "I tried not to
think too much about who I was
racing in the final. I just tried to
focus on my lane and be the
best rider I can be. If I can do
that, the results will eventually
take care of themselves."
The Pro Stock Motorcycle
class will next head to Bristol,
Tennessee, for the Thunder
Valley Nationals, one of the few
events that Herrera did not win
last season.
Kevin McKenna
FINAL
1. Gaige Herrera (Suz) 0.025 6.713
at 200.68 mph
2. Chase Van Sant (Suz) 0.040 6.797
at 197.54 mph
VOLUME ISSUE MAY , P49
Angie Smith made it to
the semi-final where
she got knocked out by
Chase Van Sant.
