NHRA Nevada Nationals
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
October 27-29, 2023
NHRA 2023 Nevada Nationals: Gaige Herrera Wins Pro Stock Motorcycle
It won’t be official until the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, but Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera moved a step closer to his first world championship by taking down teammate Eddie Krawiec in the final round with a track-record run of 6.755 at 198.32 on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. It gives Herrera his 10th victory this season, tying Matt Hines for the most in a single season in Pro Stock Motorcycle history, as well a 181-point lead heading into the finale. That means Herrera will clinch the world championship in Pomona with his first qualifying run, a fitting end to one of the most dominant seasons in NHRA history.
After qualifying No. 1 for the 13th time this year, Herrera reached the final round with victories against Marc Ingwersen and Jerry Savoie. That set up a final round matchup with his teammate for the fourth time this season and Herrera again denied his teammate of a 50th career win. He was untouchable in Las Vegas, shattering his own track record in the finals with another epic run.
“This race was really emotional to me. I have a lot of family and friends here, and I had a stellar bike all day,” Herrera said. “All day today, it was a little bit of a challenge with the headwind, riding-wise, and you could definitely feel it. But I had a very good bike all day. It was awesome being in the final against Ed. That’s the third Vance & Hines final in a row, and it was a fun final.
“We went up there, and I had a feeling he wasn’t going to stage first so I just sat there. He revved the throttle at me and I did it back. Once he did it the second time I said, ‘Oh, he’s definitely not going in first,’ so I just rolled it in. It knocked me off my game a little, but he shook the tire and I ended up going a 6.755. It felt like a very smooth, good pass, but I didn’t expect it to go faster than what I qualified with. We’re happy with that, and after this weekend, once I go to Pomona and break the beams, it’s a done deal – that’s very exciting.”
Krawiec advanced to the finals for the fourth time this season and the 95th time overall by defeating Steve Johnson and Jianna Evaristo.
The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series closes out the 2023 season with the 58th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals on Nov. 9-12 at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.
ELIMINATIONS ROUND 1
W – Steve Johnson / 0.038 / 6.986 / 191.00
L – Chris Bostick / 0.088 / 16.491 / 42.61
Chris Bostick beat Johnson in Rd. 1 at Dallas. In his last 5 races Steve Johnson is 0 – 5 in Rd. 1. It’s the 1st time in 62 races he has lost 5 in a row in Rd. 1. Johnson is 4 – 1 against Bostick in prior events. Bostick hits the throttle, the bike is really sluggish, a 1.277 sixty foot time, then he gets about 200 feet out and is out of power. Johnson goes down the groove with a decent pass to take the win.
W – Jianna Evaristo / 0.042 / 6.889 / 192.17
L – Kelly Clontz / 0.014 / 6.956 / 193.88
Jianna Evaristo has qualified in the top half of the field at 7 of her last 10 races. Kelly Clontz beat Jianna in Rd. 1 at Charlotte-2 this year. Clontz is 1 – 0 against Evaristo in prior events. Clontz gets out of the gate first, then the bike starts pushing toward the centerline. Evaristo is able to get around Clontz just past the sixty foot mark and pull away for the win with her quickest pass of the weekend.
W – Marc Ingwersen / 0.021 / 7.000 / 192.28
L – Ryan Oehler / 0.065 / 6.969 / 193.07
Marc Ingwersen is 6 – 7 in Rd. 1 this year. Ryan Oehler is 1 – 1 against Ingwersen this year. Oehler is 2 – 1 against Ingwersen in prior events. Ingwersen gets the holeshot, Oehler starts making up ground, but Ingwersen hangs on and takes the holeshot win.
W – John Hall / 0.025 / 6.881 / 193.90
L – Matt Smith / 0.044 / 6.949 / 194.46
Matt Smith wins 82% of his Rd. 1 races when starting from the top half of the field. John Hall is 1 – 3 against Smith in Rd. 1. Smith is 7 – 3 against Hall in prior events. Hall gets the advantage off of the line and extends his lead all the way through the run. Smith was drifting toward the centerline all the way through the run.
W – Jerry Savoie / 0.095 / 6.891 / 194.18
L – Blaine Hale / 0.142
Jerry Savoie is 104 – 52 (67%) in Rd. 1 races. Blaine Hale is making his 2nd start this year and his 2nd since 2009. This is the first time Savoie and Hale have faced each other in eliminations. Savoie gets the holeshot and starts pulling away. Hale leaves the line, makes a move to the left, then crosses the center line and finishes the race in Savoie’s lane. Hall will have lane choice over Savoie in the next round.
W – Joey Gladstone / 0.011 / 6.840 / 197.22
L – Hector Arana Jr / 0.010 / 6.856 / 197.94
Hector Arana Jr is the defending champ. The last PSM rider to win here in consecutive years was Andrew Hines (2014 & 2015). Joey Gladstone is 6 – 2 against Arana Jr. Arana gets out of the gate first but Gladstone reels him in quickly and goes around him before they get to the sixty foot mark. Gladstone starts pulling away from there and makes his quickest pass of the weekend to take the win.
W – Eddie Krawiec / 0.169 / 16.501 / 42.85
L – Karen Stoffer / Broke
The #2 PSM qualifier at this event is 19 – 3 in Rd. 1. Karen Stoffer is 7 – 10 in Rd. 1 when qualified #15. Her 28 losses to Krawiec are the most for her against any opponent. Stoffer does not make the call to the line. Krawiec hits the throttle, gets about 100 feet out and has problems. Johnson will have lane choice over Krawiec in the next round.
W – Gaige Herrera / 0.045 / 6.786 / 198.41
L – Angie Smith / No Show
The #1 PSM qualifier at this race is 20 – 2 in Rd. 1. The last time the #16 PSM qualifier won a round here was in 2013. Angie Smith is 3 – 13 in Rd. 1 when qualified 16th. Herrera is 3 – 2 against Smith in prior events. Smith is a no-show. Herrera goes down the groove with the quickest pass of the round to take the win. Gaige Herrera’s incremental times: 60ft-1.045 sec., 330ft-2.830, 660ft-4.339/162.12 mph, 1,000ft-5.658. Herrera will have lane choice over Ingwersen in the next round.
ELIMINATIONS ROUND 2
W – Eddie Krawiec / .040 / 6.864 / 197.08
L – Steve Johnson / .033 / 6.959 / 189.73
Krawiec is 25 – 10 against Johnson in prior events. Johnson gets the advantage off of the line and stays in front to half track. Krawiec pulls even at that point, then pulls away and takes the win. Eddie Krawiec’s incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.036), 330 ft(-0.032), 660ft(0.001), 1,000ft(0.046). MOV: 0.0884 seconds (approximately 25 feet).
W – Jerry Savoie / .010 / 6.925 / 192.41
L – John Hall / -.080 / 6.952 / 192.17
Savoie is 4 – 3 against Hall in prior events. Hall is a little too quick off of the line and goes red giving the win to Savoie. Savoie goes down the groove with a decent pass for the win.
W – Jianna Evaristo / .047 / 6.950 / 192.77
L – Joey Gladstone / .011 / 7.244 / 146.93
Gladstone is 4 – 0 against Evaristo in prior events. Gladstone gets the hole shot, extends his lead to half track, then is out of power, not sure why. Evaristo goes around Gladstone and takes the win. Jianna Evaristo’s incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.054), 330 ft(-0.072), 660ft(-0.084), 1,000ft(-0.018). MOV: 0.2586 seconds (approximately 56 feet). Krawiec will have lane choice over Evaristo in the next round.
W – Gaige Herrera / .043 / 6.795 / 196.63
L – Marc Ingwersen / .360 / 7.026 / 169.57
Herrera gets a big holeshot and makes the quickest pass of the round to pull away for the win. Herrera will have lane choice over Savoie in the next round.
SEMI-FINAL
W – Eddie Krawiec / 0.089 / 6.845 / 197.57
L – Jianna Evaristo / 0.039 / 6.897 / 193.29
Krawiec is 4 – 1 against Evaristo in prior events. Evaristo gets out of the gate first, stays in front past the 1000 foot mark, then krawiec is able to get around her just before they cross the finish line. Eddie Krawiec’s incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.052), 330 ft(-0.053), 660ft(-0.042), 1,000ft(-0.021). MOV: 0.0024 seconds (approximately 8 inches).
W – Gaige Herrera / 0.020 / 6.815 / 196.85
L – Jerry Savoie / 0.022 / 6.906 / 193.07
Savoie and Herrera have each won 1 times against the other in prior events. A coin flip off of the line, Herrera gets out in front early and pulls away for the win. Herrera will have lane choice over Krawiec in the final round.
FINAL
W – Gaige Herrera / 0.063 / 6.755 / 198.32
RU – Eddie Krawiec / 0.050 / 6.847 / 198.70
Herrera is 5 – 0 against Krawiec in prior events and Herrera is 3 – 0 against Krawiec in prior final rounds. A bit of a staging battle to start this race. Krawiec gets out of the gate first but Herrera had reeled him in before they reached the sixty foot mark. Herrera pulls away and makes the quickest pass of the weekend and also sets the track ET record. This is Herrera’s tenth win this year.
Saturday Qualifying
Pro Stock Motorcycle, points leader Gaige Herrera capped off a dominant two days of qualifying in Las Vegas, making the quickest run in all four sessions on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. He went a terrific 6.767 to close out qualifying, with Friday’s track-record run of 6.760 at 199.82 giving him the top qualifying spot for a class-record 12th time this season. He was the only rider to reach the 6.70s in qualifying and Herrera did it three times, including during both sessions on Saturday. Herrera stretched his lead to 161 points over teammate Eddie Krawiec entering raceday, meaning he’ll need to finish two rounds ahead of him to clinch the world championship on Sunday in Las Vegas.
“I’m thrilled with how we ran all weekend,” Herrera said. “I’m glad to get our 13th No. 1 qualifier so far this season out of 14 races. That right there is just a big accomplishment for Andrew [Hines, crew chief], all the guys back at the shop, and me just being consistent on the motorcycle. From Friday to today, my bike is basically a bracket bike. It’s consistent and fast, and that’s what we want. I’m excited for tomorrow. As long as we go A to B I think we’ll continue gaining little points over my teammate and getting closer.
“We’re making changes in between each round chasing the weather trying to keep the bike running the same no matter the conditions. That’s helping us out a lot as far as our tuning window – and as far as me riding it. The bike always feels like the same bike no matter the conditions. I think it helps me and Andrew out a lot as far as him tuning, me riding, and it’s paying off.”
Herrera’s teammate, Krawiec, qualified second with a 6.830 at 198.85 and defending world champion Matt Smith is a spot behind after going 6.842 at 196.53
1. Gaige Herrera, 6.760, 199.82
2. Eddie Krawiec, 6.830, 198.85
3. Hector Arana Jr, 6.842, 196.53
4. Jerry Savoie, 6.888, 194.69
5. Matt Smith, 6.895, 196.73
6. Jianna Evaristo, 6.923, 195.39
7. Chris Bostick, 6.933, 193.24
8. Marc Ingwersen, 6.935, 192.11
9. Ryan Oehler, 6.938, 195.11
10. Steve Johnson, 6.941, 189.66
11. Kelly Clontz, 6.959, 193.57
12. John Hall, 6.993, 192.33
13. Blaine Hale, 7.150, 190.46
14. Joey Gladstone, 7.184, 151.82
15. Karen Stoffer, 9.995, 73.40
16. Angie Smith, 12.232, 90.87
Friday Qualifying
On a weekend where he has a chance to clinch his first NHRA world championship, Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera got off to a flying start on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki, shattering the track record with a run of 6.760 at 199.82.
The points leader entered the weekend with a 156-point lead over teammate Eddie Krawiec and he opened the event by making the quickest run in each of the first two sessions. It puts Herrera on track for his 13th No. 1 qualifier – a race after he set the class record for No. 1 qualifiers in a single season – and plenty of momentum heading into the rest of the weekend.
“For the whole Vance & Hines Mission Suzuki team, we were very happy with that,” said Herrera. “With the cooler conditions in Q2, we were expecting a 6.77, but that pass was so smooth and straight as an arrow that it felt slow. I knew it was on a good pass, but I didn’t expect it to go 6.76 and get the new track record. That’s a big deal to me and the whole team.
“I’m going into this race knowing in the back of my head that I can possibly lock it up this weekend, but it depends on how Ed does, and the rest of the guys as well. Everything I’ve accomplished this year has really been starting to set in, going to the last two races here and Pomona, just sitting back and thinking about everything, it’s hard to believe what’s been accomplished and what we continue to accomplish.”
Krawiec is currently second 6.830 at 198.85 and defending world champion Matt Smith is a spot behind after going 6.842 at 196.53.
1. Gaige Herrera, 6.760, 199.82
2. Eddie Krawiec, 6.830, 198.85
3. Hector Arana Jr, 6.842, 196.53
4. Jerry Savoie, 6.888, 194.69
5. Matt Smith, 6.895, 196.73
6. Jianna Evaristo, 6.923, 195.39
7. Ryan Oehler, 6.938, 195.11
8. Steve Johnson, 6.982, 189.79
9. Chris Bostick, 7.048, 188.96
10. Kelly Clontz, 7.084, 193.35
11. Blaine Hale, 7.165, 188.81
12. Joey Gladstone, 7.184, 151.82
13. Marc Ingwersen, 9.110, 96.05
14. Karen Stoffer, 9.995, 73.40
15. John Hall, 10.123, 77.22
ABOUT NHRA
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