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Pro Stock Motorcycle championship contender Richard Gadson, rider of the RevZilla Vance & Hines Suzuki, will be hosting representatives from the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) organization along with their “Littles” at six NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series national events, beginning with this weekend’s American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway.��

As a young man being raised by a single parent, Big Brothers Big Sisters was an integral part of Gadson’s early support system. The native of the Philadelphia area brought a group from Big Brothers Big Sisters to the Reading NHRA Nationals in 2024, and this season, he wants to expand the program.

“My father passed away when I was just 6 years old,” said Gadson. “My mom did everything she could to provide for me and my siblings, which took a lot of sacrifice. Being an inner-city Philadelphia youth, it posed challenges for a single parent. To help her by giving us a better shot at life, my mom signed my sister and me up for mentors through BBBS of America.”
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“Last year, I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing, not even my Vance & Hines teammates,” said Gadson, who was a finalist for NHRA Rookie of the Year in 2024. “I arranged for the tickets and gave about 10 people a tour of our pits and talked about how Big Brothers changed my life. It was cool to give back, and during the offseason, Elon Werner [president of Werner Communications] reached out about helping me make this a bigger deal. I am excited to share something I love, NHRA Drag Racing, with some kids who maybe wouldn’t otherwise get this experience.”
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In addition to the race in Charlotte, Gadson, with help from Werner Communications, will be hosting “Bigs and Littles” at the Gerber Collision and Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals outside Chicago (May 15-18), the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis (Aug. 27-Sept. 1), the Reading NHRA Nationals (Sept. 11-14), the NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis (Sept. 26-28), and finally the Texas 91���� FallNationals in Dallas (Oct. 9-12).

The goal is to bring eight to 10 “Bigs and Littles” to the races and provide them a behind-the-scenes look at NHRA Drag Racing and Gadson’s Pro Stock Motorcycle team. In addition to pit tours, the guests will tour the suite tower, the NHRA midway, and the staging lanes, getting an up-close look at the sights and sounds of NHRA.

“My Big Brother took me to various events and venues that I likely would’ve never had the opportunity to experience, considering my cultural background,” said Gadson. “Subsequently, the relationships and bonds formed through Big Brothers Big Sisters helped change my life. That effect, precisely, is what I hope to pay forward to the youth today through my involvement with NHRA. To end up where I am now, I just had to reach back to my roots and do something for the kids. There are all sorts of opportunities in drag racing, not just racing. I dreamed about racing motorcycles professionally growing up, and I want to open as many doors as possible for kids to follow their dreams too. I am looking forward to getting to know these Bigs and Littles throughout the season.”

Gadson and Werner Communications have already secured the tickets for all six races and will be working with Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations in each of the host cities to make this a memorable experience for everyone involved.��
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