Six months ago, the thought of Richard Gadson unseating his Vance & Hines teammate and two-time World champ Gaige Herrera as the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion seemed absurd.
Today, not so much.
By Kevin McKenna
On what could only be described as a perfect weekend, Gadson extended his points lead with a final-round win over rookie Brayden Davis in the final round of the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals near Dallas. Gadson ran 6.796 at 200.37 mph in the final to claim his fourth win of the season. Gadson also extended his points lead over Herrera with just two rounds remaining in the season.
“You watch this happen for other people, and you want it for yourself, but I try to live in the moment,” Gadson said. “I try to remember, this is the stuff you watched Gaige [Herrera] do, stuff you watched Andrew [Hines] and Eddie [Krawiec] do, and you’re doing it right now. I just try to be present mentally in that moment and just say, ‘You’re living that dream.’
“I woke up this morning, and I looked at the ladder and said, ‘It’s going to be a long day,’ because I know everybody’s tough right now. I’m just trying to keep my foot on the gas and hold on for dear life. I’m extremely motivated right now. I feel like I have something to prove.”
Gadson gained the upper hand in the Texas heat by qualifying in the number-one spot before scoring wins against Lance Bonham, Clayton Howey and seven-time champ Matt Smith to reach the final round. Gadson did not win a race in 2024, his first season with the Vance & Hines team, but he’s quickly made up for lost time with four wins in six final rounds. He’s also got a record of 32-9 in elimination rounds.
Davis, aboard his PowerTrain Suzuki, had to settle for his third runner-up finish of the season, but he’s well on his way to becoming a legitimate Rookie of the Year contender, even though he missed nearly half the events this season.
Davis advanced to his third final round in his debut season thanks to victories against Ryan Oehler, John Hall and Herrera. Davis won that round when Herrera red-lighted. That opened the door for Gadson to extend his points lead, and he did just that.
Gadson now leads Herrera by just 72 points with two races remaining, although the final event of the season in Pomona, California, features points-and-a-half. Matt Smith remains in the running with 105 points to make up, while Davis has moved to fourth, although he’s facing a 186-point deficit, and he’d need a miracle to win the title.CN
2025 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 13 Results
FINAL
- Richard Gadson (Suz) 0.011, 6.796-200.37
- Brayden Davis (Suz) 0.031, 6.817-200.34
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