NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

On Friday, the eight Pro Stock Motorcycle racers who are in Sonoma for the GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle Allstar Callout met to decide the pairings for the $25,000 to win specialty event that will be held on Saturday at Sonoma Raceway.

As the low qualifier, Gaige Herrera had the first pick of opponents and while he was admittedly tempted to take on six-time world champion Matt Smith, he opted for a bit more conventional approach when he chose Steve Johnson.

Herrera’s teammate, reigning world champion Richard Gadson, had the second pick and his choice was almost equally obvious. Gadson decided to call out Chase Van Sant. With that decision, Gadson not only called out an opponent that, while dangerous, does not currently have the performance to match his RevZilla/Vance & Hines Suzuki. The other tactical benefit to that decision was that the remaining four riders; Matt and Angie Smith, John Hall, and Jianna Evaristo, are all from the MSR team, meaning they’d have to run against each other.

“There is a couple ways to look at it,” Gadson explained. “Chase is tough, but for me I think he was the best choice and that also leaves those guys [the Matt Smith team] to fight amongst themselves. Of course it also means that two of their bikes will make it to the semi’s, but that’s just the way it works.”

Matt Smith, making his return to his Denso Buell after missing the last three races due to recent surgery, had the third pick and reluctantly called out Evaristo which left Angie Smith and John Hall as the final pair.

After Saturday’s opening round, the four surviving riders will again have the opportunity to call out an opponent until the final round, which will be for the $25,000 top prize.

Last year, Matt Smith scored his second-straight win in the specialty event after Gadson fouled by a thousandth of a second. Smith is also the Sonoma Raceway track speed and national record holder at 205.04 mph.