Joey Gladstone had made it no secret that he would love the opportunity to race in NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle class again given the right opportunity.
That opportunity came last week when six-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion driver/owner Matt Smith gave him a call.
“Matt asked me if I wanted to ride his bike at Bristol,” said Gladstone in an interview with CompetitionPlus.com. “Matt has been battling some health issues, and I’m sure he is going to have a speedy recovery, so right now the focus for me is riding for him at Bristol.”
The 25th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals is scheduled for June 12-14 at Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway.
Smith arrived at the Potomac Nationals Presented by JEGS at Maryland International Raceway in Mechanicsville on May 28 and suffered a medical emergency.
On June 4, Smith had successful surgery to remove his gallbladder. On June 5, Smith had another procedure to clean out a few stones in the ducts.
Smith had veteran Chip Ellis replace him in Maryland, a race his wife, Angie Smith, won. Then last week, Smith reached out to Gladstone to pilot his V-Twin Buell.
“Well, I’ve always had a good relationship with the Smiths, and I filled in for Angie a few years back,” Gladstone said. “And I also did some riding for him later that year in a blocker position, and it went well. So, we’ve always stayed close. Then it is also convenient that I go to every race with KB Titan Racing (in Pro Stock), so I’m there. And yeah, that’s kind of how it happened.
“I’m very, very excited. I’ve been wanting to get back on a bike, and it just had to be the right opportunity. And here we are. I still had everything, my shoes, my helmet, and gloves and all that stuff ready to go. I think the mindset would be to try and rely on muscle memory and try to make every decision as everything happens because everything happens quick. So, if I’m not comfortable, then don’t push it. But if I’m comfortable, then I’m going to go as far as I’m comfortable with it. My expectations are that it’s a well-built bike, and I’ve been preparing myself mentally and physically. I’m going to do everything I can to make four really good qualifying runs and try to go deep into Sunday.”
Gladstone last rode a Pro Stock Motorcycle at the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., in March 2024, losing to Gaige Herrera in the first round.
Gladstone was a stout driver in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class when he and Cory Reed were running the Reed Motorsports Pro Stock Motorcycle team for several years.
Gladstone’s best season came in 2022 when he piloted a Suzuki to three race wins and finished second in the season points standings, just 82 points behind world champion Matt Smith.
“Cory and I, when we started and we had our race team, we started on V-Twins and then we went to Suzukis,” Gladstone said. “After that, the next bike I would have ridden would have been Angie’s, and that was a V-Twin and it goes all the way back to 2012. Actually, my first race that I ever competed at was on a V-Twin. It was on one of Matt’s bikes. Yeah, so it is quite a full-circle moment.”
Gladstone put his Pro Stock Motorcycle racing career on hold when Reed made the transition to a full-time Pro Stock driver in 2024.
A year ago, Reed, driving a Camaro for KB Titan Racing, won one race in Norwalk, Ohio, had two semifinal finishes and finished fifth in the points standings.
Along for the ride was Reed’s best friend, Gladstone, who worked on his car’s clutch and transmission, among other things.
In 2026, Reed opted to step away from Pro Stock competition to focus on driving in grudge racing and radial-tire events.
Gladstone, meanwhile, is still in the mix at KB Titan Racing. His primary job is working on the clutch and transmission for Matt Latino’s Camaro.
“I work (at KB Titan Racing) every day, and I’ll still be over at KB throughout the day (in Bristol) just working on Pro Stock cars and stuff,” Gladstone said. “I still have responsibilities over there. In addition to what I do for Matt’s car, I fill in wherever needed. If it gets later in the rounds and one of the other crew guys is busy, you fill in. We all work together. I work on engines as well, whatever needs to be done.”
Gladstone said Matt Smith spoke to Greg Anderson, NHRA’s all-time winningest Pro Stock driver, who spearheads the KB Titan Racing program, before calling him.
“Matt discussed it with Greg before he brought it up with me and asked if Greg would be OK with it, and Greg was like, ‘Heck yeah.’ So, they know that I have a long history on bikes, and they want to see me racing,” Gladstone said. “We’re like a family over there, so they’re excited for me and very supportive.”
Although Gladstone has plenty of experience piloting a Pro Stock Motorcycle, he admitted he will have plenty of nerves before Q1 in Bristol on Friday.
“Oh, yeah, I’m sure I will have butterflies,” Gladstone said. “I’ve been thinking about it ever since I got the call (from Matt). I don’t take it lightly. I take it very seriously. It is a very challenging thing to do. So, all I can do is just prepare myself the best I can and go out there and try and execute.”
