After a solid showing two weeks ago in Charlotte, Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Richard Gadson hopes to carry that momentum into this weekend’s Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK at Route 66 Raceway.
Not only did Gadson win the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at zMAX Dragway, but he also finished runner-up to six-time world champion and current points leader Matt Smith. This weekend marks the third event for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class and Gadson, now entering his second season on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki, believes his team has the pace to continue their performance.
“We had a great weekend in Charlotte,” Gadson said. “It’s a big confident booster and gives you a different swag. I think if we can continue with the momentum we have and keep being consistent, a win is just around the corner.”
In 2024, Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all secured victories in Chicago. This year’s race, which is the sixth of 20 during the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series 2025 season, will again be broadcast on FS1, with final elimination coverage on Sunday beginning at 2 p.m. ET.
A first career PSM win would be monumental for Gadson, who was a finalist for NHRA Rookie of the Year honors a year ago. He’s part of a Vance & Hines team that boasts 15 NHRA world championships, including back-to-back titles from his teammate Herrera. With the historical success of the team, Gadson has felt the magnitude of it and also the motivation to perform at a high level.
“Every time I see a picture of me on their motorcycle, I don’t let myself get complacent,” Gadson said. “I haven’t allowed myself to take that for granted. It’s not that I’m racing NHRA – it’s I’m racing in the NHRA for Vance & Hines.
“Working with these guys every single day and then to go racing and kind of see the fruits of our labor has been an extremely rewarding experience. I still pinch myself sometimes just to see if it’s real. I ride for Vance & Hines. It’s a hard position to ride for Vance & Hines and to follow up behind Eddie (Krawiec, four-time champion), Andrew (Hines, six-time champion) and Gaige. They have all had dominant performances out here. To be the next new guy on that team, it comes with a lot of pressure and expectations.”
Along with his Mission Challenge win in Charlotte, Gadson will be part of another Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday in Chicago. Gadson will take on Smith, while Gadson’s teammate and reigning two-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Herrera will face off with Steve Johnson.
Top Fuel’s Antron Brown will look to win in Chicago for a seventh time, taking on a group that includes points leader Shawn Langdon, racing legend Tony Stewart, Brittany Force, Doug Kalitta and Clay Millican.
Reigning champ Austin Prock leads Funny Car following back-to-back wins. He’ll be on the hunt for his first Chicago win against John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman, Phoenix winner Paul Lee, and champs Matt Hagan and Ron Capps.
The race will also feature competition in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown division, Holley EFI NHRA Factory X and the Pingel NHRA Top Fuel Motorcycle Series.
Fans will be invited to the Nitro Alley Stage, which is the main entertainment hub in the pits. The stage hosts Nitro School, meet and greets, autograph sessions and much more. Race fans in Chicago can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce each driver and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. Fans are also invited to congratulate the event winners at the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday.
As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their cars, get autographs and more. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and vendors create an exciting atmosphere.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will feature two rounds of qualifying at 1:30 and 4 p.m. CT on Friday, May 16, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, May 17 at 12 and 2:30 p.m. CT. Eliminations will begin at 10:30 a.m. CT on Sunday, May 18. Television coverage includes qualifying action at 9:30 p.m. ET on Friday and Sunday at 11 a.m. before eliminations coverage at 2 p.m. ET.
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