It didn't take long for Gaige Herrera, the newest rider in the Vance & Hines camp, to find the winner's circle.

Herrera, who joined the renowned team in the offseason, won the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals Sunday.

Herrera, on the Mission Foods Vance & Hines Suzuki, clocked a 6.706-second time at 200.89 mph to defeat Angie Smith's 6.845-second run on her Matt Smith Racing Buell at Gainesville, Fla.

"Racing for Vance and Hines, I mean, it was a dream, but being able to work with them, they're an awesome team to work with," said Herrera, 29. "They helped me out a lot as far as being comfortable on the bike, and it's showing. I'm at a loss for words. I took every round one step at a time, and I was just out there having fun, and I still can't believe I'm holding this Wally."

Herrera, who calls La Habra, Calif., home, made his Pro Stock Motorcycle debut last year, qualifying for NHRA national events in St. Louis, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Pomona, Calif.

The finals victory culminated a dream weekend for Herrera, who qualified No. 1 with a 6.685-second 203.49 mph lap. He then beat Ron Tornow, his teammate Eddie Krawiec, and Jianna Evaristo before taking care of Smith in the finals.
 
"Obviously, you never want to race your teammate, but that right there, it was a lot of pressure on my shoulders," said Herrera about racing Krawiec, a multiple-time world champ. "I mean, he's one of the greatest out here. And to not only be teammates, it's a big deal to me to be teammates with Eddie Krawiec, but to line up next to him; was definitely a lot of weight on my shoulders. 

"Unfortunately, I was hoping it would've been in the final, but it's not how the cards played this weekend, but getting to race him that's a big deal. 'Cause I grew up watching him, and Andrew (Hines) go back and forth on the Harleys, and to be able to race him, that was a big deal to me."
 
Herrera said he didn't use any of Krawiec's advice against him.

"No, not really. Honestly. Eddie said, 'Just go out there and do you,'" Herrera said. "He said that he felt like he was going to be in trouble, and that made me feel good. Just like I said, just being able to race Eddie and to be at this level with all these great competitors. I mean, it's awesome."

In his post-race interview, Herrera said he had not spoken to Terry Vance about his performance.

"I haven't seen Terry yet, but I saw him out there each round, and he just kept saying, 'Do what you're doing and keep making me proud.' So that right there, I mean, having those words come out of Terry's mouth, I can't even explain how it makes me feel. To be out here and make Terry happy and the whole Vance & Hines and the Suzuki team, it's a big deal to me."

Herrera did take a moment to talk about his rise from obscurity to Wally-winning PSM rider to start the 2023 season.

"It makes me feel... I mean, I can't explain it," he said. "If you would've asked me at the end of last season if I was going to be racing the Gatornationals and with Vance & Hines, I would've probably said no. Because I was just out there having fun last year, and I didn't expect anything from it. So, to be out here in front of all these fans and end up on top, I can't put it in words, honestly. It's an amazing feeling. And yeah, I'm really happy."

Herrera was not only victorious on Sunday, but dominant throughout. He was by far the fastest motorcycle on the property.

"I run a Nitrous Pro Street Bike normally; that's basically what I used to run all the time," Herrera said. "I've qualified, I think, the best third, but I'm usually about a tenth, tenth, and a half behind. I'm used to being the underdog. So, coming here and having a decent advantage on the field was definitely a different feeling. I've never been in that situation. And to be there and basically to repeat a bracket bike was a big thing to me. Just hitting my shift points, going A to B straight, that was a big accomplishment to me, and yeah, it ended up good."

Having the reality of capturing a Wally is something that Herrera has been dreaming about for years.