John Hall ended a 12-year drought Sunday by winning the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle final, clocking a 6.880-second run at 196 mph to defeat Richard Gadson and secure his third career national event victory.
It was Hall’s first win since the 2013 U.S. Nationals and marked a full-circle moment with Matt Smith Racing, the same team with which he earned his previous victories.
“You never know if you’re going to get another one,” Hall said. “I beat Matt Smith at the U.S. Nationals in 2013, just for the record.”
The veteran rider admitted the road back to the top hasn’t been easy, especially in a competitive class dominated by Vance & Hines. Yet Hall remained focused on his role and credited MSR for keeping him in contention.
“MSR is one of the hardest working teams out here,” Hall said. “They get you to the winner’s circle if you do your job.”
Hall said he doesn’t get involved with tuning decisions and focuses solely on riding. On race day, he relies on the crew to adjust for track and weather conditions.
“Matt tunes the bike; I ride it and hit the button,” he said. “They’re always tuning for the weather — it paid off this weekend.”
Despite a clean run on paper, Hall confessed his final round pass felt anything but controlled. He flirted with the center line and later learned he’d reacted with a 0.080 light.
“I probably did everything I could to lose that race,” he said. “Sometimes it’s just your day.”
Asked if he noticed how close he came to hitting the cone, Hall nodded. “I moved around enough and scrubbed off speed,” he said. “It was close, but I stayed in it.”
The win reflects not just a personal milestone but a testament to MSR’s depth. Hall noted that five MSR bikes qualified in the top seven, a rare feat for any NHRA team.
“Me, Angie, Matt, Jianna, and Ron were all right there,” he said. “Some people can’t get one bike in the top five — getting that many in the top seven is amazing.”
Hall’s return to the winner’s circle added a touch of nostalgia for the veteran rider, who praised the fan atmosphere and traditions at the Ohio track.
“I love this track, the fans, and the ice cream,” Hall said. “Moose Tracks is my favorite — tough to find at home but not here.”
Reflecting on the lengthy gap between wins, Hall acknowledged he never expected anything to come easy.
“There’s a lot of good talent out there,” he said. “You just do your job and hope for the best result.”
Though he played down the emotional weight of his comeback, Hall admitted last race’s disappointment — a mechanical failure at the NHRA Virginia Nationals — was a low.
“You don’t harp on things out of your control,” he said. “What eats at you are the things you did wrong.”
This weekend, Hall said he left those thoughts behind and focused on doing his job. His sponsors — American Rebel Light, MSR, Denso, Doug Herbert Brakes, and Worldwide Bearings — were all recognized for their continued support.
He also made sure to mention the people closest to him.
“I forgot to thank my wife and kids at the top,” he said. “Thank you, Yvette, for putting up with me and pushing me out the door to go racing.”
Hall’s resilient mindset will continue to guide him into the rest of the season.
“I don’t have a Plan B,” he said. “There’s one John Hall on that racetrack, and that’s what you’re going to get.”
Unlike many NHRA competitors with deep family ties to the sport, Hall’s path was self-made. He discovered racing as a spectator at Englishtown, eventually working his way up through the brackets.
“Nobody in my family ever raced,” he said. “It started with a 600, and it led me here.”
