Vance & Hines crew chief
Andrew Hines couldn't help but
chime in, adding, "These two
bikes ran within a thousandth
of a second, and that's what the
fans pay to see. The better rider
got the win today."
Herrera rolled through Sun
-
day's final eliminations with
wins against 2003
World champ
Geno Scali, Kelly Clontz and
Trick Tools Suzuki's Chase Van
Sant, making three straight 6.76
runs in the process. The win
was the 22nd of Herrera's career
in just 37 starts.
While Herrera has dominated
the last two seasons and quali
-
fied number one in Gainesville
with
a 6.670, Smith led the way
for much of the weekend. Smith
nearly matched Herrera in quali
-
fying with a 6.679 and then made
his
way through eliminations
by beating Lance Bonham and
teammates John Hall and Angie
Smith. Despite the loss, Smith,
who has made it his mission to
win a record seventh champi
-
onship this season, has clearly
closed
the performance gap to
Herrera since last season.
"I'm basically a neutral person,
and Matt [Smith] and I are cordial,
but he does have a bit of a rivalry
with Vance & Hines, and I think it's
good for the class," Herrera said.
"I just better not hear any crying
about parity. The Buells and the
Suzukis are even right now."
Rain affected the Gainesville
opener, as Saturday's qualifying
was a complete washout. With
just two qualifying runs, there
were some surprises, including
class veteran Steve Johnson,
who did not qualify for the 16-
bike field in one of the few times
in recent years.
The field also included new
riders Branden Litten and Bray
-
don Davis, who have stepped up
to NHRA's premier two-wheel
class. Both riders qualified sol
-
idly for the field.
The next Pro
Stock Motor-
cycle event will be the annual
Four-Wide
Nationals at zMax
Dragway in Concord, North
Carolina, April 25-27.
Kevin McKenna
FINAL
1. Gaige Herrera (Suz)
2. Matt Smith (Bue)
VOLUME 62 ISSUE 10 MARCH 11, 2025 P45
Matt Smith gave Herrera
a battle in the final.
