also admitted that a rare early
loss in the season opener last
month provided all the motiva-
tion he'd need heading into
Charlotte.
"Losing
the second round in
Gainesville lit a fire under me,
and I didn't want that to happen
to me again this weekend," Her
-
rera said. "I knew I had to be bet-
ter as a rider at everything and
feel like this weekend
I proved it
to myself."
The Vance & Hines bikes
finished first and second at the
event, but in qualifying, it was
Denso Buell's Matt Smith that set
the pace with a quick 6.739-sec
-
ond run that set the pace for the
weekend. Smith
also clocked
a booming 203.09-mph speed,
the fastest run so far this year.
Smith's shot at victory ended
in round one when he left early,
drawing a rare red-light start.
Gadson, who won the season-
opening Gatornationals, man
-
aged to hold on to the champion-
ship lead thanks to his runner-up
finish. Gadson
had the quickest
reaction time in the final quad,
but his 6.809-second run was not
fast enough to hold off Herrera.
The event was also significant
for Howey, who made the jump
from the Sportsman Motorcycle
class to Pro Stock Motorcycle
last season. Howey, riding a
Vance & Hines-powered Su
-
zuki for owners Chris and Kelly
Clontz,
reached the semifinal
round in each of the first two
events of the season. Howey
also posted a competitive reac
-
tion time in the final quad but
was third
quickest with a 6.854.
The final semifinal finisher
was Van Sant, a former Rookie
of the Year, who entered the
event ranked number eight in the
championship standings. After a
solid qualifying effort, Van Sant
reached the final round, where a
red-light start ended his hopes
for a second career victory.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag
Racing Series and the Pro Stock
Motorcycle class return to action
May 1-3 for the NHRA Southern
Nationals at South Georgia Mo
-
torsports Park in Adel, Georgia, a
new
event for the series.
Kevin McKenna
FINAL
1. Gaige Herrera (Suz)
6.758 - 199.88 mph
2. Richard Gadson (Suz)
6.809 - 198.17 mph
VOLUME 63 ISSUE 17 APRIL 28, 2026 P47
There were four Suzukis in
the final, with Herrera passing
two of them for the win.
