When he got to the final round of the NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals, September 21, RevZilla/Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Richard Gadson looked around and found himself surrounded by three Buell V-twin entries from the rival Matt Smith team. Outnumbered but not outgunned, Gadson rode to his third win of the season to claim the points lead in Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship.
Racing in the unique four-wide format, where the top two qualifiers from each quad advance until the final, Gadson was able to maintain his composure and successfully navigated the often-confusing structure to score the victory. Gadson ran a 6.803 elapsed time, while Matt Smith was the runner-up with a 6.821. Angie Smith and Jianna Evaristo were credited with semifinal finishes.
“When you say points leader, I just can’t believe you’re talking about me,” Gadson said. “Sometimes, when I’m at home and I look at the points and even see my name in second place, I have to read it twice because I just can’t believe it’s really me in this position. I owe all the thanks to Vance & Hines and to our sponsors.
“As for the final, you just want to avenge your team. You’re racing against three bikes from a rival team, and you don’t want to go up there and do anything stupid. If they’re going to outrun you, then that’s what it’s going to be. You just don’t want to beat yourself, and when you’re the lone ranger up there racing for your team, you carry it with a little bit more pride. These bikes are easy to do something stupid on.
“I didn’t think about any funny business, but when I saw Angie pre-stage so early, I was kind of, ‘Why is she already pre-staged?’ I thought maybe it was a mistake. But I think that they came up there with a game plan. They had three bikes against me, and I felt like they would take anything they can get, and they controlled the starting line. Angie didn’t do anything wrong, but I’m a little sharper than I look, so I didn’t fall for it.”
Coming into the event, the battle for the championship could not have been more competitive. Matt Smith, gunning for his record seventh championship, was leading, but he enjoyed just a six-point edge over teammate John Hall and reigning champ Gaige Herrera, while Gadson was fourth, just nine points back.
Gadson opened eliminations with a win over Hall, Chris Bostick and Ryan Oehler. He then advanced to the final round by beating Matt Smith, Hall and Kelly Clontz. Since the top two riders advance from each “quad,” Gadson had to race Hall twice and Matt Smith twice, but he was not the least bit affected, as he won the first two heats with runs of 6.79 and 6.80, respectively.
Typically, the four-wide events feature a lot of unpredictability, and this event was certainly no exception, as Herrera, winner of five events this season, failed to advance out of the first round. Herrera’s RevZilla/Vance & Hines Suzuki encountered a mechanical problem, which allowed Marc Ingwersen and Marcus Hylton to advance. For Hylton, the win was the first of his career.
Despite the loss in the final, the result was a good one for Matt Smith, who is coming off a runner-up finish last weekend in Reading, Pennsylvania. He damaged an engine in his Denso Buell on Saturday, and his team worked late into the night to repair the damage. Matt Smith won his first quad and then finished second to Gadson to reach the final round.
“We’re still in this,” Matt Smith said. “There are four races left, and we’re right in the middle of it, so no one should count us out. We had to work through a lot of adversity this weekend, but we got through it, and we’ll be ready for the next one.”
Matt Smith and the rest of the class won’t have to wait long, as the tour heads to World Wide Technology Raceway just outside St. Louis for the weekend’s NHRA Midwest Nationals.CN
VIDEO | Richard Gadson takes points lead with win in Charlotte
2025 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 11 Results
FINAL
- Richard Gadson (.015) 6.803-199.55
- Matt Smith (.027) 6.821-199.37
SEMIFINALS — Evaristo, 6.842, 200.23 and A. Smith, 6.839, 197.22 def. Hylton, 7.140, 180.60 and Ingwersen, DQ; Gadson, 6.809, 198.99 and M. Smith, 6.821, 198.20 def. Clontz, 6.863, 197.91 and Hall, 7.042, 168.70;
FINAL — Gadson, 6.803, 199.55 def. M. Smith, 6.821, 199.37, A. Smith, 6.842, 198.99 and Evaristo, 6.943, 197.05.
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