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INDIANAPOLIS - A year ago, Gaige Herrera burst onto the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle season full-time, becoming something of a phenomenon in his first full season riding for the Vance & Hines team. Setting record after record, winning race after race, Herrera cruised to his first world championship, capping off a surreal year that even Herrera had trouble comprehending. A season later, not much has seemingly changed, as Herrera rode his way to another dominant championship run, again setting records, again reaching double-digit wins and again remaining as the class of the category on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki.
"This is very special. Last was a dream for me and it almost didn't seem real. This year, I had to prove it wasn't a fluke," Herrera said. "We kind of ran away with it last year and I knew it was going to be tough this year. I have to give it up to the whole team. This team is working day and night. I've got one of the top bikes out here and I've just tried to stay consistent.
Herrera posted nine No. 1 qualifiers in 2024, down from last year but also a nod to the strong improvement from the rest of the class. Herrera's dominant 2023 help spur that and he had to deal with challenges all year long, mainly from chief rival Matt Smith, who finished second in points with three wins, six finals and six No. 1 qualifiers. He certainly pushed Herrera, who opened the year in dominant fashion with wins at Gainesville, Charlotte, Chicago, Bristol, Richmond and Norwalk. His first loss of the season finally came in the final round in Seattle, where Chase Van Sant got the best of him, but Herrera was quick to recover, winning the U.S. Nationals for the first time. It was a meaningful moment for Herrera, who posted a perfect .000 reaction time in the final round, but there was still adversity to overcome. He lost in the semifinals at the first two races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, as Smith moved into the points lead. Herrera, though, recovered in St. Louis, rolling to the win and moving back to the points lead. That keyed a three-race winning streak that pushed him to the championship, including a final-round win over Smith in Dallas. It handed Herrera his 20th career victory in his 34th career race, reaching the 20-win milestone quicker than any driver in NHRA history. For good measure, the 21st - and 10th of the season - came a race later in Las Vegas, opening up a points lead that all but guaranteed the title in Pomona. In the end, it meant another dominant season for Herrera, who now has an unbelievable record of 100-9 the past two years and 21 wins in his last 30 starts. Both are jaw-dropping numbers and Herrera hasn't taken a minute of it for granted. He continues to praise the work of his team and crew chief Andrew Hines, remaining hopeful this meteoric pace can continue to be possible in 2025.
"I never thought I would win a championship or even a race in Pro Stock Motorcycle, so it means a lot to win two in a row. But I think it means even more for this team. Andrew and everyone at the shop deserves this and I'm lucky to be able to showcase how much work they put into it. Next year is going to even more challenging, but I'm looking forward to it." The 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series begins March 6-9 with the NHRA Gatornationals at legendary Gainesville Raceway.
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