Gaige Herrera made history Sunday at Pacific Raceways, winning the Pro Stock Motorcycle final at the NHRA Northwest Nationals for his 25th career victory — the fastest anyone in NHRA history has reached the milestone. Herrera’s 6.690-second, 201-mph pass in the final beat teammate Richard Gadson and capped a day he called “a dream.”
Herrera, who secured his fourth win of the season, reached 25 career victories in just 43 starts, nearly 10 races quicker than any previous NHRA competitor. “It’s very cool, and honestly hard to keep track of all this,” he said. “It still feels like my first win every time. You never lose that excitement.”
The win was also personal redemption for Herrera, who saw his 11-race winning streak end here last year at the hands of Chase Van Sant. This time, Herrera dispatched Van Sant in the opening round and said that was the most nerve-wracking part of the day. “Once I got that off my shoulders, I was good,” he said.
Herrera and Gadson kept the final round lighthearted, trading jokes in the pits beforehand. “He said, ‘You gonna give me the right lane?’” Herrera recounted. “I told him, ‘That’s the only thing you’re gonna get.’”
The day wasn’t without its challenges for Herrera’s Vance & Hines team. Both bikes struggled during qualifying, with Herrera noting they “couldn’t get the bike to move” and spent hours adjusting clutches and tires. “We didn’t think it would be either one of us in the final,” Herrera said. “But it shows how hard Andrew, Ed and the whole team work. They never give up.”
In the semifinals, Herrera edged Matt Smith in a double-overtime reaction-time duel, admitting he could hear Smith alongside but refused to look over. “I thought I’d scrub enough to lose it if I looked,” he said.
The victory also earned Herrera the No. 1 spot in the upcoming Pro Stock Motorcycle callout event. Asked who he plans to challenge in Sonoma, Herrera was noncommittal. “Last year I called out Matt and it bit me,” he said. “We’ll see. But we’ve got a lot of momentum after running the 6.69. My bike finally felt back to normal in the final.”
Herrera also praised fellow rider Chris Bostic, who survived a brush with the wall earlier in the event and tried to compete in the next round. “It takes a lot of courage to come back out on a different bike like that,” Herrera said. “My hat’s off to him. It takes a lot of trust in your team, and he had it.”
Watching Bostic’s crash from behind the water box reminded Herrera of a similar incident he experienced years ago. “When you’re outside the windscreen the wind does crazy things with your helmet,” he said. “I was bracing for him even though it wasn’t me. I’m glad he’s okay.”
As the NHRA tour heads to Sonoma, Herrera said the West Coast stretch of the season is one of his favorites. Growing up in Los Angeles, he raced often at Sonoma and said the facility and scenery bring back memories.
“It gives you that old-school mom-and-pop racetrack feeling,” Herrera said of Seattle. “Sonoma’s beautiful too. I’m really looking forward to it.”
For Herrera, the 25th win was as meaningful as any before it. “I’m living the dream,” he said. “You always push yourself to get the Wally, and it always feels like the first time.”
