Inaugural NHRA Nationals at The Rock
Rockingham Dragway
September 25-27, 2026

Richard Gadson Wins Pro Stock Motorcycle

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Richard Gadson got the victory on the starting line when teammate Gaige Herrera went red in the championship round, handing the points leader and reigning world champion his third victory of the year on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki.

Herrera left .018 early, handing the victory to Gadson, who delivered a solid run of 6.789 at 199.65 en route to his seventh career victory. After an early loss last week in the playoff opener, Gadson got back on track in a major way, opening up a 64-point lead over Herrera with four races remaining.

On Sunday, he got past Geno Scali, Ryan Oehler and Chase Van Sant to reach the final round and set up another marquee matchup with his Vance & Hines teammate. They’re now 3-3 against each other in final rounds, but it was Gadson who took the victory at Rockingham Dragway to keep him in a great position to win a second straight world championship.

“I feel like I got away with one here this weekend. It’s kind of been our M.O. It wasn’t fancy. It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t headline-worthy, but you know, we’re here holding our third diamond Wally,” Gadson said.

“Gaige and I are extremely competitive with each other, sometimes to the point where the lines are blurry in our competitiveness because he’s a friend. I’ve got a lot of respect for the guy, but I’m playing mind games the whole time. He’s playing games the whole time, and you know I said. ‘It’s his race to lose,’ hoping that he would lose the race somehow. In order to win the race, you’ve got to be green four times. Gaige went for the E.T., and he got away with it three rounds, but we decided we’re just going to race our lane, so it’s a lot of strategizing, and it paid off.”

Herrera reached the finals for the fourth time this season and 36th time in his career thanks to round wins against Lance Bonham, Clayton Howey and Joey Gladstone. M. Smith is 81 points back in third.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Oct. 2-4 with the 15th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis.

Round 1 Eliminations

W – Chase Van Sant / 0.0028 / 12.5404 / 42.33
L – John Hall / -0.0042 / 6.9623 / 185.72

Chase Van Sant starts the day with an overall record of 50-50 (8-9 this year). John Hall is one of 23 PSM riders to win five or more races. Hall and Van Sant have each won 2 times against the other in prior events. Hall goes red to give Van Sant the win, who has problems and coast down the track for the win.

W – Angie Smith / 0.0281 / 6.8044 / 196.85
L – BYE

Angie Smith had a bye run in Round 1 in Maryland and went on to win the race.
Smith with a good pass on the bye run, she will have lane choice over Van Sant in the next round.

W – Ryan Oehler / 0.0249 / 6.7424 / 199.56
L – Malcom Phillips Jr

Ryan Oehler set Low E.T. in Martin, making him one of 43 PSM riders to have set Low E.T. This is the 7th start for Malcolm Phillips. He lost to Oehler in Round 1 at Indy. Phillips Jr. hurt his engine yesterday and decide to focus on getting the bike fixed for St. Louis, so he is a no-show. Oehler with a good clean pass on the single.

W – Clayton Howey / 0.0237 / 6.8068 / 196.94
L – Steve Johnson / 0.0272 / 8.156 / 131.58

Steve Johnson’s 824 rounds are the 24th most among all Pro drivers. Clayton Howey beat Johnson in Round 1 at two of the last three races. Howey is 2 – 0 against Johnson in prior events. Howey with the starting line advantage for the win. Johnson with problems early and clicked it off.

W – Joey Gladstone / 0.0822 / 6.8042 / 197.37
L – Marc Ingwersen / 0.0128 / 6.9486 / 197.63
This is Joey Gladstone’s 4th race since 2023. Marc Ingwersen’s foul in Martin was the 16th of his career. Gladstone is 4 – 0 against Ingwersen in prior events. Ingwersen with the starting line advantage, but Gladstone chased him down for the win.

W – Richard Gadson / 0.0299 / 6.7421 / 200.71
L – Geno Scali / 0.098 / 6.9273 / 196.08

Richard Gadson is 36-4 (90%) in Round 1. Geno Scali is 0-3 against Gadson in Round 1. Gadson is 3 – 0 against Scali in prior events. Gadson with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He will have lane choice over Oehler in the next round based on his faster mph.

W – Matt Smith / 0.048 / 6.7387 / 202.43
L – Marcus Hylton / 0.1608 / 12.2204 / 64.68

Matt Smith wins 83% of his Round 1 races when he has lane choice. Marcus Hylton is making his 5th start. This is the first time Smith and Hylton have faced each other in eliminations. Smith with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He will have lane choice over Gladstone in the next round. Hylton with problems early and clicked it off.

W – Gaige Herrera / 0.069 / 6.6836 / 201.97
L – Lance Bonham / -0.1035 / 7.1572 / 184.35

Gaige Herrera is 7-0 in Round 1 when qualified No. 2. This is Lance Bonham’s first race since Dallas in 2025. Herrera is 1 – 0 against Bonham in prior events. Bonham goes red to give Herrera the win. He is straight down the groove for the win. He will have lane choice over Howey in the next round.

Round 2 Eliminations

W – Chase Van Sant / 0.0643 / 6.8707 / 198.68
L – Angie Smith / -0.0149 / 6.8595 / 182.63

Smith is 5 – 2 against Van Sant in prior events. Smith goes red to give Van Sant the win, he is straight down the groove.

L – Ryan Oehler / -0.181 / 9.2191 / 92.59
W – Richard Gadson / 0.014 / 6.7972 / 200.09

Oehler goes red to give Gadson the win. He will have lane choice over Van Sant in the semifinal.

W – Joey Gladstone / 0.0162 / 6.8769 / 181.16
L – Matt Smith / 0.0905 / 7.5446 / 125.77

Smith is 7 – 3 against Gladstone in prior events. Gladstone with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Smith with problems early and clicked it off.

W – Gaige Herrera / 0.0292 / 6.6996 / 201.25
L – Clayton Howey / 0.00 / 6.8223 / 196.59
Herrera is 3 – 0 against Howey in prior events. Howey with a perfect light, but Herrera chased him down for the win. He will have lane choice over Gladstone in the semifinal.

Semi-Final Eliminations

W – Richard Gadson / 0.0353 / 6.7905 / 198.85
L – Chase Van Sant / 0.0366 / 6.8256 / 198.06

Gadson is 9 – 5 against Van Sant in prior events. Gadson with a tick on the tree and never trailed for the win.

W – Gaige Herrera / 0.0284 / 6.7148 / 201.16
L – Joey Gladstone / 0.0296 / 6.7911 / 197.89

Herrera is 3 – 0 against Gladstone in prior events. Herrera with a tick advantage on the tree and never trailed for the win. He will have lane choice over Gadson in the final.

Final Eliminations

W – Richard Gadson / 0.0434 / 6.7898 / 199.65
L – Gaige Herrera / -0.0189 / 6.8112 / 176.82

Herrera is 5 – 4 against Gadson in prior events and Herrera is 3 – 2 against Gadson in prior final rounds. Herrera goes red to give Gadson the win. He wins his third Wally this season and seventh of his career.

Pro Stock Motorcycle Points

1. Richard Gadson, 2,286
2. Gaige Herrera, 2,222
3. Matt Smith, 2,205
4. John Hall, 2,201
5. Angie Smith, 2,190
6. Ryan Oehler, 2,185
7. Jianna Evaristo, 2,169
8. Chase Van Sant, 2,155
9. Clayton Howey, 2,094
10. Steve Johnson, 2,067

Qualifying Saturday

NHRA officials announced a sellout on Saturday for the inaugural NHRA Nationals at The Rock.

The race marked the fourth of four new facilities during NHRA’s 75th anniversary season. Fans packed the grandstands of Rockingham Dragway on Saturday during the second day of qualifying at the 16th event of the 2026 NHRA season.

“This is just incredible,” said Dan VanHorn, Rockingham Dragway co-owner. “These teams are just off the charts. All the weather, the rain, the brand-new facility, brand new surface, and they’re getting down and making us look good, and the NHRA is making us look good and we’re all just really proud.”

It is the tenth sellout day of NHRA’s milestone season, including the season opener at the NHRA Gatornationals, as well as all four of the new tracks on the circuit, including South Georgia Motorsports Park, Maryland International Raceway and US 131 Motorsports Park.

Angie Smith earned her fourth No. 1 of 2026 on her Denso Auto Parts Buell after her 6.674 at 201.61 stayed best of the field. She will have bye run during the opening round and will be on the hunt for her second win of the season.

“A bye run in round one is everything to us in the Countdown because it’s one more test run that we have,” said Smith. “You can go up there and test your reaction time, you can maybe test something that you think might work, and you get one pass at the track where there’s nobody else in the other lane, so that means everything to us, especially in the Countdown.”

Two-time world champion Gaige Herrera finished second with a 6.680 at 202.07 and will race Lance Bonham while six-time world champion Matt Smith, Angie’s husband, finished third with a 6.681 at 204.17 and will face Marcus Hylton.

1. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.674, 201.61
2. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.680, 202.07
3. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.681, 204.17
4. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.681, 202.25
5. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.683, 202.41
6. Joey Gladstone, Buell, 6.732, 201.34
7. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.737, 199.65
8. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.759, 201.34
9. John Hall, Buell, 6.762, 200.00
10. Clayton Howey, Suzuki, 6.775, 198.15
11. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.787, 198.41
12. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.861, 197.72
13. Malcolm Phillips Jr., Suzuki, 6.986, 168.04
14. Marcus Hylton, Buell, 7.104, 185.03
15. Lance Bonham, Buell, 7.256, 182.63

Qualifying Friday

Pro Stock Motorcycle put on a thrilling show during both sessions on Friday at Rockingham Dragway, but it was championship contender Angie Smith who had the last laugh on an ultra-quick day, going a career-best 6.674 at 201.61 on her Denso Auto Parts Buell to take over the No. 1 spot.

Four bikes went in the 6.60s to open the weekend, but Smith was a step quicker than her husband, Matt, as she looks to pick up her fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season. The playoff opener didn’t go as planned for Smith, falling in the second round, but she rebounded quickly on Friday in Rockingham. Currently fourth in points, Smith is after a big weekend to close in on points leader and reigning world champ Richard Gadson.

“Matt Smith went 6.68 in the first session and I went 6.69, so I gave him some crap about it because us racers, we’re greedy,” Smith said. “We always want to go fast. I knew my bike had a little bit more left in it and he said, ‘Well, I’m going to tune you up, so you better be ready.’ Well, I was ready, and then after the run, he was like, ‘I guess I tuned you up too much.’

“I love it here. We’ve probably made 60 runs here this year on this racetrack. We test here all the time, and the track personnel that runs this track when there’s not a national event here, they do an amazing job prepping the track so all the data that we get when we’re here testing, it always translates, and that’s a really good thing. So, hats off to everybody that runs this facility. I’m really glad to be here because it’s kind of home. It’s an hour and a half from our house, and there’s been a lot of fans stop by the pit to see us, and everybody likes it.”

Matt Smith is second after going 6.681 at a booming 204.17 and Ryan Oehler, who was the top qualifier in Martin, is third after going 6.681 at 202.25. Gadson is right behind in fourth after a run of 6.683 at 202.41.

1. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.674, 201.61
2. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.681, 204.17
3. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.681, 202.25
4. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.683, 202.41
5. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.714, 202.79
6. Joey Gladstone, Buell, 6.732, 201.34
7. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.737, 199.65
8. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.759, 201.34
9. Clayton Howey, Suzuki, 6.775, 198.15
10. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.787, 198.41
11. John Hall, Buell, 6.795, 200.45
12. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.861, 197.72
13. Malcolm Phillips Jr., Suzuki, 6.986, 168.04
14. Marcus Hylton, Buell, 7.104, 185.03
15. Lance Bonham, Buell, 7.256, 182.63

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X, Pingel Top Fuel Motorcycle and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/