Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1539512
Hall Enters NHRA Title Chase F or much of the 2025 NHRA season, the Vance & Hines team has dominated the Pro Stock Motorcycle class, but there have been exceptions. John Hall chalked up a win for the Matt Smith Racing team in Sonoma in July, and Hall re - peated the feat at this weekend's Reading Nationals, the first event in NHRA's six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Hall earned his second win of the season and the fourth of his career when he stopped team owner and crew chief Matt Smith in the final round. Hall, on his American Rebel Light/Matt Smith Racing Buell, left the start- ing line first and never trailed as he finished with a 6.802 elapsed time at 199 mph. Smith came into the final nursing a wounded engine, and it finally gave up be- fore the finish line as he slowed to a 6.950 at just 167 mph. "They're all special for me, but to do it in the Countdown [playoffs] is great because, I mean, there's six races in the Countdown, you've got to bring your A-game," Hall said. "We had a new tire on there that wasn't working for us. We put the old tire back on for [Sunday] and that worked out. We ran four 6.80s in a row. The track was great; thank you to the Koretsky family for the great track and to MSR for a great bike. "It is great that they gave me this opportunity," Hall said. "Matt WIND IN THE P30 Smith and Angie Smith gave me an opportunity to come out here and compete—probably in the later stages of my career—and I'm just thankful for everything." Hall kicked off race day with a win against Kelly Clontz and then fired a big shot in the second round with a win against back-to-back World champ Gaige Herrera. Hall ran a 6.806 for the victory and then scored an equally impressive win against rookie Brayden Davis, setting up the matchup with Smith. It was the first MSR- versus-MSR matchup in the final round since Sonoma last season. Smith, seeking a record sev - enth championship, scored wins against Brandon Litten, Jianna Evaristo and Richard Gadson, though his Denso Buell sounded the alarm by getting progres- sively slower with each round. It was Smith's fourth final this year and 85th in his career. Smith's crew chief, Michael Ray, admitted that the team was dealing with engine issues on Sunday and had hoped to just be