There they go again!
NHRA’s rules makers are fiddling with Pro Stock Motorcycle – again – despite the fact that Gaige Herrera’s hold on the class and his record-setting 11 consecutive victories, performed with his Vance & Hines Suzuki Hayabusa3, has been severed twice this year, first by 2023 NHRA Rookie of the Year Chase Van Sant’s Suzuki outside Seattle, WA and, one race later by six-time champion Matt Smith’s Buell in Sonoma, CA.
While it’s likely the weight gain for both Suzuki 4-valve and Buell-powered 2-valve bikes was in the works well before Herrera and his team gave up thoughts of a perfect season, it just doesn’t seem the right thing to do at this time. No doubt whiners within the class brought plenty to bear on this decision.
On August 1, NHRA released a letter to all Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors stating, shortly after Sonoma Raceway’s DENSO Sonoma Nationals won by Matt Smith on his Buell, new weight strictures, effective immediately. The new rules affect Buell Gen 1 2-valve pushrod bikes; they must weigh 625 pounds, up from 615; Gen 2 2-valve Buells go from 625 to 640 pounds; Vance & Hines 4-valve Suzuki engines add 15 pounds, from 645 to 660 pounds race weight. There were no changes to Suzuki motorcycles running the Monster 4-valve heads and “all other combinations stay at current weights.”
The rules committee also stated that Sunoco SR18, a yellow fuel, remains as the sole approved fuel for Pro Stock Motorcycle, at least through the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Finals in November. “Fuel will be evaluated again at the end of the 2024 season.” Today’s rumor is that the class, and possibly the entire Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series, might change from Sunoco to VP fuels for 2025.
The moment this letter appeared, comments began all over social media concerning it. One competitor, Kelly Clontz, called the rules changes “ridiculous” shortly after they appeared. A Vance & Hines Suzuki Hayabusa3 rider, she reminded that Hector Arana Jr. and Marc Ingwersen race Gen 1 Buell motorcycles; of that duo, Arana Jr., the first Pro Stock Motorcycle competitor to reach 200 mph, is the smallest, weight-size and also the more successful of the riders. As Clontz pointed out, all of them ride over the weight limit so this change might actually help them. Ryan Oehler, mentioned by Clontz as a Gen 1 rider, confirmed he’s using Gen 2 Buell equipment.
“This also helps the MSR (Matt Smith Racing) new entry rental program,” she said, as Smith does not normally provide Gen 2 engines (the “fast motors”) for rentals, unless they’re sandbagging to help Matt and Angie.” All regular Matt Smith Racing riders, Matt, Angie Smith, John Hall and Jianna Evristo, ride Gen 2 Buell motorcycles, which have gone from 625 to 640 pounds.
“Jianna and Angie proved at 625 that they could run with Matt! Matt has said – out of his mouth – he is at least .05 better than Angie! So if they add 15 pounds to Angie and Jianna’s bikes, it will help Matt since he is already at that weight.” After his Sonoma victory, Matt Smith said he’d put some weight on his Buell to effect better 60-foot times. “Mind you,” Clontz stated, “it’s the same combination that he went 205 [with] in 2021. All the crying, he’s definitely going to make sure he’s on top.”
Matt Smith proclaimed, after his Sonoma win, that he’d retire if he won his seventh championship this year. No comments about retiring in any other year, just this one!
It seems obvious that NHRA erred by taking weight off the twins at the start of the 2024 season, as well as stopping use of a red Sunoco fuel, noted for its efficiency at high rpm levels, which NHRA saw as an advantage for the four-valve motorcycles. According to Parker Miller, working with Marc Ingwersen, who currently runs a Gen 1 Buell (but has two Gen 2 cases in preparation stages), “It didn’t seem to make a difference for us,” he said of the red vs yellow fuel controversy. Clontz disagrees: “Taking the ‘red’ fuel from every team other than MSR because they never used it!! Majority of the class wants the red fuel back!”
Clontz, of course, isn’t pleased with the plans for four-valve Suzuki engines, because hers are prepped by Vance & Hines and now must be heavier than she has been running. , but she feels secure that Vance & Hines’ Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec will ”figure it out for us.”
The V&H 4-valve has gone from 645 pounds to 660 pounds, while Suzuki engines using the Monster head remain at 625 pounds. Clontz noted, in her Facebook post, “NHRA basically said, Steve J (Johnson) GET TO WORK!!” Johnson uses Monster heads with his Suzuki engine; that helped him last year but he’s been behind the eight-ball in 2024 with that combination.
Now that NHRA has made these decisions, the riders of lighter physical weight values might not need to eat as much broccoli for maintenance (Steve Johnson). There’s been plenty of whining about the loss of “red” fuel and now there’s whining about the new rules.
When Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors unload for the 70th annual U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park later this month, we can bank on one thing for sure. There will be plenty of whining before they arrive and, likely, plenty more when it’s time to leave.
What they ought to do is give all the riders lances,have them start at opposite ends of the track,and have a jousting match at mid track. That would put a stop to all the constant bitching and moaning.May the best jouster win
Well doesn’t matter to me, I don’t like Pro Bikes are Pro Stock anymore. They all cry too much for my liking.