NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle settled into kind of a normal groove after some high drama of the last two events. Joliet’s Matt Smith vs. Angie Smith final followed up by Matt’s hospitalization to remove his gall bladder (about a pound and a half) during the inaugural Maryland race left everyone a little winded.

Then came the weather-related schedule change for Friday qualifying here in Bristol. My own personal schedule couldn’t change much, so I arrived at the track at about the same time I would have anyway—4:15 for the originally scheduled 5:00 first round. I watched/listened to the rounds on my drive, and there seemed to be a lack of vibe. The weather was sweltering-god-awful, and the moisture in the air finally turned into drops on the ground just as the last pair went down the track.

Qualifying today was just OK, with the Mission 2fast2tasty Challenge adding a bump of needed excitement. All pairs were Suzuki vs. Buell, and as Par Pippi Willen noted in the Eatmyink Facebook Group, the match-up between Richard Gadson and Angie was outstanding. Angie’s .004 light was stellar and Richard’s .017 wasn’t too shabby either. After a 6.858/198.17 lap from Angie and a 6.839/197.74 from Richard, he took the win by a scant .0068 margin of victory.

In the other pair, Jianna Evaristo drove around Ryan Oehler for a 6.899/196.33 to 6.884/198.06 win. Richard then lost the tree with an .027 to Jianna’s, but was able to drive around her 6.896 197.10 with a 6.855 at 197.65 for the win. It’s the first bonus race win of the season for the reigning NHRA champ, whose championship journey began with his first Wally here a year ago.

“This place is special to me because everything changed here,” said Richard. “This Challenge is a favorite among the racers because you go to sleep Saturday night feeling really good, and you wake up Sunday feeling really good. When your bike is running this well and you’re solid on the tree, this Challenge gives you a real boost of confidence heading into race day.”

Here’s Richard’s full presser:

On the downside, Richard lost the #1 qualifier spot when teammate Gaige Herrera (Friday’s provisional #1) ran a 6.831 at 197.88 on his last attempt to bump Richard’s Q3 6.839 at 197.74 to second. Angie is third with a run of 6.858 at 198.17. Amazingly, it’s Gaige’s first #1 of the season.

Here’s Gaige’s presser from Friday:

Pro Stock Motorcycle order:

1 79 Gaige Herrera, DeMotte IN, Suzuki Hayabusa 6.831 197.88 197.88

2 1 Richard Gadson, Avon IN, Suzuki Hayabusa 6.839 197.74 197.74

3 4 Angie Smith, King NC, Buell 1190RX 6.858 198.17 198.17

4 9 Steve Johnson, Birmingham AL, Suzuki Hayabusa 6.883 194.24 194.24

5 3284 Ryan Oehler, Bloomington IL, EBR 6.884 198.06 198.52

6 7 Jianna Evaristo, San Jose CA, Buell 1190RX 6.896 197.10 197.10

7 5 Brayden Davis, Douglas GA, Buell 6.903 197.08 197.08

8 1550 Joey Gladstone, Mooresville NC, Buell 1190RX 6.935 195.79 195.79

9 6 John Hall, Hamden CT, Beull 1190RX 6.937 197.77 197.77

10 8 Chase Van Sant, Monroe IA, Suzuki TL 1000 6.946 196.85 196.85

11 10 Chris Bostick, Mount Juliet TN, Suzuki Hayabusa 6.950 192.06 193.07

12 1981 Kelly Clontz, Hughesville MD, Suzuki TL 6.956 192.66 194.58

13 370 Marc Ingwersen, Findlay OH, EBR 6.972 184.75 184.75

14 351 Geno Scali, Lake in the Hills IL, Suzuki TL1000 7.049 193.29 193.38

15 371 Wesley Wells, Greenwood IN, Suzuki GSXR 7.188 183.15 183.15

Pro Stock Motorcycle round 1 pairs — 1. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.831, 197.88 vs. Bye; 2. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.839, 197.74 vs. 15. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 7.188, 183.15; 3. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.858, 198.17 vs. 14. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.049, 193.38; 4. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.883, 194.24 vs. 13. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.972, 184.75; 5. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.884, 198.52 vs. 12. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.956, 194.58; 6. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.896, 197.10 vs. 11. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.950, 193.07; 7. Brayden Davis, Buell, 6.903, 197.08 vs. 10. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.946, 196.85; 8. Joey Gladstone, Buell, 6.935, 195.79 vs. 9. John Hall, Beull, 6.937, 197.77.

Eliminations for the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals begin at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday at Bristol Dragway.

story and photos by Tim Hailey