2025 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 2 Results

| April 28, 2025

RevZilla/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Gaige Herrera has ruled the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle category for the last two seasons, but when it comes to the Four-Wide format and North Carolina’s zMax Dragway, Denso Buell’s Matt Smith still rules the roost.

Matt Smith at 2025 NHRA Round 2 — **Matt Smith racked up another four-wide win at zMax Dragway.**

By Kevin McKenna

Smith earned the 42nd win of his career when he won a final quad that included Herrera, Vance & Hines rider Richard Gadson and veteran Steve Johnson. In the unique side-by-side-by-side-by-side format, Smith rode to a 6.738 to barely cover Gadson, who was the runner-up with a 6.738. Herrera also made a great run with a 6.747 along with Johnson, who was in the thick of the battle with a 6.799.

Smith has won four times at zMax Dragway, including the most recent event held last September under the traditional two-wide format.

“This has been a long weekend,” Smith said. “We had a lot of gremlins in our pits. This morning, we cranked my bike up, and it started squeaking. We have another engine called Old Faithful, so we put in a new engine that went smoothly after that. Hats off to my team. I can’t say enough about my crew guys. Everyone helps, but it’s a lot of work to run four bikes with three mechanics. I do the fuel maps and clutches, and I also get to ride, but it’s a lot of work.

“I’m on the positive side now. I had 41 wins and 41 runner-up finishes. Now, I’m 42 and 41, so at least I’m on the positive side now.

“This is my home track, and I like racing here,” Smith said.

From the start of qualifying, it seemed almost a given that Smith would clash with the Vance & Hines riders at some point. Herrera was the qualifying leader with a 6.680 run, and Gadson was also solid with a 6.759, but Smith was able to keep the leaders in his sights with a 6.773 for the number-three spot in the field.

Under the unique four-wide format, both the first- and second-place finishers from each “quad” advance to the next round, and Smith had little difficulty doing just that. He won his first heat with Chase Van Sant and then reached the final by beating Gadson in the second round. Smith also set the top speed of the event at 203.16 mph and backed that up with a 202.91 mph run in the final round.

Richard Gadson at 2025 NHRA Round 2 — **Richard Gadson was the runner-up with a 6.738.**

Gaige Herrera at 2025 NHRA Round 2 — **Gaige Herrera was the qualifying leader with a 6.680 run, but had to settle for third in the end.**

It has been six weeks since the season opener in Gainesville, Florida, and Smith made good use of the downtime with multiple test sessions along with his wife, Angie, and their teammates, John Hall and Jianna Evaristo.

“We think it’s smart to run four bikes, Vance & Hines have two, and we can surround them,” Smith said. “I’m going for a seventh championship this year, and I want it.

“They [Vance & Hines] ran 6.68 during qualifying, and today they just flat missed the tune-up. They should have run 6.65 or 6.66, but we were able to capitalize on their mistakes.”

Herrera, who dominated in Gainesville, had the best bike in qualifying but fell off a bit during Sunday’s final eliminations. He did manage to hold off Hector Arana Jr. and John Hall in round one and then topped Marc Ingwersen and Steve Johnson in the semi-final round. Herrera was also consistent with runs of 6.728 and 6.762.

The Pro Stock Motorcycle class will be featured next at the Gerber Collision and Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Illinois, on May 16-18.