Matt Smith broke Gaige Herrera’s record streak of 11 straight No. 1 qualifiers in Pro Stock Motorcycle, as his 6.708 at 201.40 was more than enough on his Denso Auto Parts/Matt Smith Racing Buell was more than enough to stay at the top. Herrera’s No. 1 string had dated back to last July, but Smith impressed immediately on Friday, claiming his 53rd career top spot. He’ll begin eliminations against Lance Bonham, looking for his first win of the season at this weekend’s 24th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance.
“I’m really excited. I have a good bike. We’ve been testing a lot and getting better and better,” Smith said. “Honestly, I don’t know if lane choice means anything. Both sides are really good. This place has always been good to me. I normally come up here and run really well. This track will take everything you can throw at it. I think we’re back to where we think we should be. A win would be huge. We had the best bike for three runs this weekend and I think we’ll have the best bike tomorrow.”
Herrera can win his eighth straight race on Sunday and qualified second with a run of 6.745 at 200.17. LE Tonglet took third thanks to a run of 6.772 at 200.44.
Eliminations for the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance begin at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday at Route 66 Raceway.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.708, 201.40 vs. 16. Lance Bonham, Buell, 7.246, 184.50; 2. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.733, 201.16 vs. 15. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 7.237, 185.51; 3. LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 6.772, 200.44 vs. 14. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.956, 195.28; 4. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.778, 200.26 vs. 13. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.948, 193.32; 5. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.782, 200.95 vs. 12. Ron Tornow, Victory, 6.894, 196.96; 6. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.795, 200.00 vs. 11. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.867, 196.22; 7. John Hall, Beull, 6.811, 198.50 vs. 10. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.853, 195.45; 8. Chase VanSant, Suzuki, 6.822, 198.12 vs. 9. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.838, 130.78.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Geno Scali, 7.355, 183.24; 18. Eiji Kawakami, 7.408, 184.60.
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