Richard Gadson Reverses Bristol Final Result with NHRA Norwalk Victory Over Teammate Herrera

Two weeks after losing the Bristol final to teammate Gaige Herrera, Richard Gadson reversed the result at the Summit Racing Equipment 2026 NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio on Sunday — defeating Herrera in an all-RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki final for his second win of the season. Herrera committed a 0.004-second red light foul to hand Gadson the victory. The 2026 NHRA Nationals at Norwalk marked the second consecutive race to produce an all-Suzuki final between the two teammates, with Herrera again qualifying number one and Gadson second.

The 2026 NHRA Nationals Final: Gadson Reverses Bristol

Gadson ran 6.849 seconds at 197.36 mph for the win after Herrera’s rare starting line foul — four-thousandths of a second early, one of the thinnest possible margins for a red light. Herrera had been dominant through three elimination rounds, qualifying number one for the second consecutive race (6.768 seconds/199.08 mph, his 33rd career No. 1 qualifier) and posting the low elapsed time in both his first two passes. In the semi-final he topped Angie Smith with a 6.843-second/197.68 mph run before the foul ended his bid for back-to-back wins.

Gadson’s bracket: 6.811 seconds/198.15 mph past Odolph Daniels in round one, 6.836 seconds/197.54 mph past Chase Van Sant in round two, 6.857 seconds/196.82 mph past Joey Gladstone (foul) in the semi-final. Two opponent fouls before the final, then a third in the championship final. Gadson also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday — his second of the season and fifth of his career — adding bonus points and a cash purse to what was already a complete weekend.

The back-to-back all-Suzuki finals tell the team story. The Vance & Hines squad has locked out Q1 and Q2 in two consecutive 2026 NHRA Nationals events and produced the final-round matchup at both. Crew chief Andrew Hines credits a traction advantage in the first 60 feet: “When we can put three or four hundredths on the other bikes in the first 60 feet, it’s hard for them to overcome that down the track.” Herrera’s post-race assessment was equally direct: “I gave Richard a little gift in the final there.”

Championship Standings and the Road to the Countdown

The win extended Gadson’s championship lead to 83 points at the season midpoint — 677 to Herrera’s 594, with Angie Smith 28 points further back in third. Gadson became the third rider alongside Herrera and rival Matt Smith to record two wins in the first seven races of the 14-race calendar. Herrera’s read on the standings was candid: “I think Richard’s pretty much got the regular season locked up, so I’m more focused on the start of the Countdown, because that’s when it really matters.”

The Countdown to the Championship resets points for a six-race playoff, which means Gadson’s 83-point lead doesn’t carry over directly. The next event doesn’t count toward the championship at all: the Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout on July 17–18 at Sonoma Raceway is a non-points exhibition with cash and pride on the line. Hines has already named it a tuning exercise, targeting the sea-level performance gap the team needs to close before the 2026 NHRA Nationals Countdown begins. “We’re getting these wins, but it’s not by luck or complete dominance,” he said. What Vance & Hines learns at Sonoma may matter more than the scoreboard does right now.

About The Author

Allan Lane

Philadelphia born and bred, Allan Lane is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of digital magazines. He launched his first publication, SportBikes Inc Magazine in 2010, followed by dosage MAGAZINE in 2019. Recently, Allan launched his third online publication, Club For Man. As a journalist, Allan covers fashion, lifestyle, culture, art, and motorcycles.

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