NHRA PHOTO
ANOTHER SEASON, ANOTHER RECORD-BREAKING CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON FOR PSM’S GAIGE HERRERA
Two-time world champ enjoys another stellar campaign, setting all-time NHRA marks, reaching 10 wins again
NHRA PHOTO
INDIANAPOLIS – A year ago, Gaige Herrera burst onto
the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle season full-time, becoming something of a
phenomenon in his first full season riding for the Vance & Hines team.
Setting record after record, winning race after race, Herrera cruised to
his first world championship, capping off a surreal year that even
Herrera had trouble comprehending.
A season later, not much has seemingly changed, as Herrera rode his way
to another dominant championship run, again setting records, again
reaching double-digit wins and again remaining as the class of the
category on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki.
Herrera won 10 races in 2024, clinching the championship after his
opening-round win in Pomona, posting another unbelievable win-loss
record, this time going 50-5 in 2024. Included in that was wins in the
first six races of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
season. That gave him 11 straight victories dating back to last year,
breaking the all-time NHRA record for most consecutive wins. That run
included 46 straight round wins, another NHRA record, but Herrera
insisted this championship and this season almost meant more for him.
“This is very special. Last was a dream for me and it almost didn’t
seem real. This year, I had to prove it wasn’t a fluke,” Herrera
said. “We kind of ran away with it last year and I knew it was going
to be tough this year. I have to give it up to the whole team. This team
is working day and night. I’ve got one of the top bikes out here and
I’ve just tried to stay consistent.
“The last two seasons have been incredible. I’m just living the
dream and having fun with it. Win or lose, I’ve got to have fun and
I’m having a lot of fun right now.”
Herrera posted nine No. 1 qualifiers in 2024, down from last year but
also a nod to the strong improvement from the rest of the class.
Herrera’s dominant 2023 help spur that and he had to deal with
challenges all year long, mainly from chief rival Matt Smith, who
finished second in points with three wins, six finals and six No. 1
qualifiers.
He certainly pushed Herrera, who opened the year in dominant fashion
with wins at Gainesville, Charlotte, Chicago, Bristol, Richmond and
Norwalk. His first loss of the season finally came in the final round in
Seattle, where Chase Van Sant got the best of him, but Herrera was quick
to recover, winning the U.S. Nationals for the first time.
It was a meaningful moment for Herrera, who posted a perfect .000
reaction time in the final round, but there was still adversity to
overcome. He lost in the semifinals at the first two races in the
Countdown to the Championship playoffs, as Smith moved into the points
lead. Herrera, though, recovered in St. Louis, rolling to the win and
moving back to the points lead.
That keyed a three-race winning streak that pushed him to the
championship, including a final-round win over Smith in Dallas. It
handed Herrera his 20th career victory in his 34th career race, reaching
the 20-win milestone quicker than any driver in NHRA history.
For good measure, the 21st – and 10th of the season – came a race
later in Las Vegas, opening up a points lead that all but guaranteed the
title in Pomona. In the end, it meant another dominant season for
Herrera, who now has an unbelievable record of 100-9 the past two years
and 21 wins in his last 30 starts. Both are jaw-dropping numbers and
Herrera hasn’t taken a minute of it for granted.
NHRA PHOTO
He continues to praise the work of his team and crew chief Andrew Hines,
remaining hopeful this meteoric pace can continue to be possible in
2025.
“Indy was a huge highlight,” Herrera said. “That was my debut (two
years ago) and to have a perfect reaction time and win there, it was the
top. Then, getting the championship here (in Pomona) meant a lot. I was
pushing myself to the limit and Andrew was pushing the bike to the
limit, all to try and stay at the top. We were definitely pushing all
year. I pushed myself more this year, so this championship means a lot
to me and I’m excited for next season.
“I never thought I would win a championship or even a race in Pro
Stock Motorcycle, so it means a lot to win two in a row. But I think it
means even more for this team. Andrew and everyone at the shop deserves
this and I’m lucky to be able to showcase how much work they put into
it. Next year is going to even more challenging, but I’m looking
forward to it.”
The 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series begins March 6-9 with the
NHRA Gatornationals at legendary Gainesville Raceway. For more
information about NHRA, including the 2025 schedule, please visit
www.NHRA.com