Streak Over; Chase Van Sant
Stops Gaige Herrera
I
t's over. The longest winning
streak in the history of the
National Hot Rod Association,
12 races and 46 consecutive
round wins, went by the wayside
at the NHRA Northwest Nation
-
als in Seattle, July 20-22. In an
historic Pro Stock Motorcycle
final round, Trick Tools Suzuki's
Chase Van Sant earned his first
career win and, in the process,
he stopped previously unbeat
-
able Gaige Herrera.
Van Sant ended the streak
with a run of 6.720 at 201.31
mph to beat defending World
Champion Herrera, who wasn't
far behind with a respectable
6.754-second run at over 200
mph. Herrera's record-breaking
run of 12 straight victories and
46 consecutive round wins, a
string that dated back to last
September's championship
round in Reading, Pennsylvania.
"I got down to the top end and
saw my win light on, and I was
just shaking my head," Van Sant
said. "We were down in the shut
-
down, and Gaige yelled some-
thing at me, and he pointed, and
I was like, 'Man, I don't know.
Like, is this real?' I've gone up
against Gaige five times and lost
all five times, so to cut a light
and get away early and outrun
him speaks volumes to how hard
this team has been working kind
of silently in the midst of all the
drama in Pro Stock Motorcycle."
Van Sant's win is hardly a
surprise, as he was named the
2023 NHRA Rookie of the Year
even though his season was cut
short by injuries suffered in an
on-track accident in Dallas last
October. In Seattle, Van Sant put
together an impressive run with
wins against Brandon Litten,
John Hall and six-time world
champ Matt Smith.
WIND
IN THE
P58
Last year's NHRA Rookie
of the Year Chase Van Sant
defeated Gaige Herrera in the
Pro Stock Motorcycle final in
Seattle.
PHOTOS: MATT POLITO
