Matt Smith is ready to come home. And starting in 2024, he plans to return to what he's been able to depend on for six NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championships.

CycleDrag.com and Jack Korpela first broke the story of the Denso-sponsored Smith leaving Suzuki and returning to his all-too-familiar Buell V-twin program.

 
Gaige Herrera had a season for the record books in 2023 in NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle class.

Herrera claimed his first world championship in dominating fashion aboard his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki.

Herrera, in his first season with Vance & Hines and his first full-time season in Pro Stock Motorcycle, captured 11 victories and 14 No. 1 qualifiers. Both are new single-season records in the category.

 The 2023 professional drag racing season concluded on a high note at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip as the Drag Race Bracket Bonanza (DRBB) reached its season-ending event. The six-race playoffs showcased action both on and off the track, culminating in two DRBB players claiming victory. 

Nitrostalgic, known as Terry I., and AlkeyAlex, also known as Alex Owens, emerged as the top contenders in the DRBB Overall Series, earning the most points throughout the playoffs. As a reward, they were presented with championship belts signed by the 2023 NHRA world champions Doug Kalitta, Matt Hagan, Erica Enders, and Gaige Herrera. Notably, this year's competition saw the first Canadian and European winners.

Mountain Motor Pro Stock racer Alan Drinkwater might get spoiled after this one.

The rookie driver in the PDRA’s Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock division by AED Competition, clinching the 2023 world championship. Throughout the eight-race PDRA season, Drinkwater delivered a championship effort by winning twice in three final-round appearances.

Drinkwater, who drove the Kaase-powered IronListing.com ’13 Mustang, acknowledged the high level of competition in the Mountain Motor Pro Stock category this year. 

Carloads of fans waited up to an hour in bumper-to-bumper traffic Nov. 4 just to get into Shadyside Dragway, where the Southeast Gassers Association (SEGA) staged its last of 10 events this year and settled championships in four eighth-mile classes.

“Thanks to all of you, this is the biggest attendance in SEGA’s history,” series founder and organizer Quain Stott told the sold-out crowd shortly before eliminations began. “We can’t thank you enough for coming out here, for your patience, and for the support you’ve given us. We really appreciate it and promise to make things better. Thank you all, thank you.”

Do you ever wonder why the Camaro is virtually everywhere in drag racing and dominates Pro Stock in entries? It's not rocket science; the Chevrolet has been the Bowtie brand's all-time largest-selling sports car. There have been 5.5 million Camaros sold since 1967, even after taking off eight years of production.

Chevy fans can thank Ford Motor Company and their Mustang for the Camaro. The Camaro became a response, although not immediately. General Motors wasn't worried about the Mustang and initially felt their Corvair was an adequate response and a superior car. They were greatly mistaken.

Ford Mustang sales topped 100,000, and while GM redesigned their Corvair, they quickly learned it wasn't even in the ballpark. The Corvair sold only 73,000 units. The combination of declining Corvair sales and a book by Ralph Nader, Unsafe At Any Speed, pushed the Camaro into production at warp speed.

There are many ways to win a championship. Let the record reflect: Sunday's title triumph was not how Matt Hagan wanted to secure his fourth career Funny Car crown -- but he'll gladly take it.

In a quarterfinal round at the NHRA In-N-Out Finals, all three championship contenders fell by the wayside. First, there was Bob Tasca III, who dropped a match against Cruz Pedregon, then Hagan lost to Blake Alexander in the next pair. Robert Hight was poised to reel in the championship against the driver who would eventually capture the NHRA In-N-Out Finals Wally, Chad Green.