2024 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle at Sonoma Results

| July 31, 2024

One week after Gaige Herrera’s historic 11-race win streak ended in Seattle, it was his biggest rival, Denso Buell’s Matt Smith, who put on a dominant performance in winning the latest NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle round at Sonoma Raceway, July 26-28.

Matt Smith and John Hall at 2024 NHRA Sonoma Nationals — **Winner Matt Smith (near lane) went up against John Hall in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Final at Sonoma.**

By Kevin McKenna | Photos by Matt Polito

Smith, winless this season, dominated from start to finish. He qualified in the number-one spot with a 6.655, one of the best runs of his long career, and won Sunday’s final round over MSR teammate John Hall. In between, Smith also won Saturday’s GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout, a bonus race featuring the top eight riders in the class based on their qualifying results in the past year with a $25,000 prize.

Smith may still feel that the current NHRA rules package favors the Suzuki brand, but his results suggest otherwise, as he was never seriously challenged throughout the weekend. In the final round, Smith easily took care of Hall, running a 6.700 to Hall’s 6.746. Smith also routinely topped 200 mph, including a 203.77 run in the final.

“They all talked crap about me when I couldn’t get my bike to sixty-foot [the first 60 feet of the quarter-mile], but we went to work and got it fixed and they [the Vance & Hines team] seemed to have lost it,” said Smith. “Maybe it’s time they got back to work to get their [performance] back.

“This doesn’t wipe away the first half of the season,” said Smith. “They [the Vance & Hines team] say it’s Gaige, but it’s not. He’s a great rider, but it’s that bike. I blame [V&H crew chief] Andrew Hines for throwing the whole class under the bus. When Angelle [Sampey] rode that bike, she was stupid fast. It’s got nothing to do with Gaige. He’s not better than me or Chase Van Sant or Richard Gadson. Andrew and Eddie [Krawiec] couldn’t do their jobs anymore and that’s why they got off the bikes. If I get that seventh title this year, I promise I’ll get off the bike and put some young kid on it who can do the job.”

Smith opened eliminations with a win over Japan’s Eiji Kawakami and then claimed a tough win against Trick Tools Suzuki’s Chase Van Sant. That was perhaps Smith’s closest brush with defeat, as his 6.711 effort held off Van Sant’s 6.767. With a short field of just 12 bikes, Smith was rewarded with a bye run into the final round.

Hall had the exact result he hoped for when he rejoined the MSR team earlier this season. A past winner of the U.S. Nationals, Hall was the number-nine qualifier but made a bit of improvement in eliminations when he defeated Smiths’ wife, Angie, Herrera, and GETTRX Buell’s Hector Arana Jr.

Matt Smith and Denso Buell team at 2024 NHRA Sonoma Nationals — **Smith and the Denso Buell crew celebrate their first win of the season.**

Needless to say, Hall’s win against Herrera was the talk of the pits. Herrera struggled during qualifying and landed in the number-three spot, but he clearly didn’t have the same dominant bike that he’s had since last September. Herrera slowed from his earlier pace to a 6.847, making him easy pickings for Hall, who was on his game with a 6.746.

On Saturday, Smith also dominated the GETTRX Callout event, beating his teammate Jianna Evaristo in the final round with a 6.655, his best run of the event.

“I’m really thrilled. This is my first win in the GETTRX Callout but my third win in a specialty race,” Smith said. “We’ve had a tough year. We haven’t won a race, but we’ve been good on Saturdays. This is a big payday, and it means a lot, so I have to say thanks to Steve Bryson and GETTRX for putting this deal on.

“[Jianna] is going to be an excellent rider and I’m proud of what she’s doing. Before the final, I didn’t cut her any slack. We’ve both struggled to cut a light here, but I still told her I was going to spank her.”

The Pro Stock Motorcycle class will now take a monthlong break in preparation for the largest and most important event on the calendar, the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on August 28-September 2.