“ This is one everyone wants to win . It ’ s the Super Bowl of drag racing . To get this win , I feel like I ’ ve kind of accomplished what I wanted in Pro Stock Motorcycle . It ’ s crazy to say that a year and a half into my Pro Stock Motorcycle career , but I ’ m not stopping yet .” - GAIGE HERRERA , NHRA U . S . NATIONALS WINNER

YOUNG GUN : Ronny Young , who has fostered the iconic “ Blue Max ” brand for the past two decades , stays cool in his tow vehicle before making a pass in Funny Car Chaos with the Blue Max ‘ 78 Plymouth Arrow nostalgia nitro Funny Car .

TWO-WHEEL TITANS : NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle young guns Chase Van Sant ( left ) and Gaige Herrera , both 2023 DI 30 Under 30 honorees , prepare to take to the track at Maple Grove Raceway . Several races prior , Van Sant ended Herrera ’ s historic 11-race win streak to earn his first career win .

DYNAMIC DUO : PDRA Pro Street standout Ty Kasper and his longtime girlfriend , Jade Maloney , pose for a pre-race photo in the staging lanes at Bristol Dragway during the inaugural PDRA Thunder Valley Throwdown .

FAMILY FUN : Drag racing is most assuredly a family hobby for 2023 PDRA Pro Street world champion Bill Riddle , who ’ s joined here by his wife , Leslie , and daughter Brooke , who competes in Pro Jr . Dragster while also crewing on her dad ’ s roots-blown Camaro .

HALLOWED GROUND : With the iconic Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway arch behind him , five-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion Greg Anderson is introduced to the crowd as the No . 1 qualifier at the 70th annual U . S . Nationals . He ’ s now a seven-time No . 1 qualifier and seven-time winner of the Big Go .

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOE MCHUGH , TARA BOWKER , VAN ABERNETHY , DAVID HILNER , AND NHRA

64 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 191