best race of his career in Bristol.
After qualifying in the number-
two spot with a 6.859, and then
powered his way past Charles
Poskey and Chase Van Sant to
reach the final round.
Gadson may have won the
event, but the real story of the
weekend revolved around rookie
Brayden Davis. Just 19, Da
-
vis made his NHRA Pro Stock
Motorcycle
debut earlier this
season in Gainesville with the
WAR Team. In Bristol, he landed
a coveted ride aboard the Vance
& Hines Suzuki rental bike and
made the most of it. In fact, he
nearly made history.
Davis went to the top spot early
in qualifying with a 6.834 and
stayed there. He also made his
way through the first two rounds
of eliminations before the clock
struck midnight on his Cinderella
story. Racing against Herrera in
the semifinal round, Davis double-
clutched on the starting line and
stalled the bike. The mistake
ended what could have been a
history-making weekend.
"I had a shot to win this deal,
but I made a mistake, and it cost
me," Davis said. "I get pretty
emotional, because I expect a lot
from myself, but this weekend
was awesome. I can't thank the
Vance & Hines team enough for
this opportunity. I just can't wait
for my next shot."
As for Herrera, the loss was
just his fourth in 27 final rounds
and just his second loss of the
season. The reigning and two-
time world champion struggled a
bit in qualifying and landed in the
number-four spot.
On race day, Herrera topped
Chris Bostick and Angie Smith
and then topped new teammate
Davis. Despite the loss, Herrera
has a 13-2 record in eliminations
through the first four races of the
season and enjoys a massive lead
in the championship standings.
The Pro Stock Motorcycle
class will now move to Richmond,
Virgina, for next weekend's NHRA
Virginia Nationals, June 13-15.
Kevin McKenna
FINAL
1. Richard Gadson (Suz)
2. Gaige Herrera (Suz)
VOLUME 62 ISSUE 23 JUNE 10, 2025 P33
Gadson (pictured)
defeated defending
champ Gaige Herrera
in the final.
