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Some of Richard Gadson’s earliest memories of drag racing involve watching his uncle, Ricky, race in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class in the 1990s. Even then, Gadson felt that one day he’d also be racing in NHRA’s premier two-wheel category. 

“You’ve got to understand one thing, I come from a motorcycle racing family. It wasn’t just my uncle,” said Gadson. “My grandparents rode motorcycles. My dad and my sisters and brothers all ride motorcycles. There was no plan B in this life. It’s all about motorcycles. 

“I can remember going to Gainesville in the late 1990s and watching John Myers, Dave Schultz, and Antron Brown when he rode for Team 23,” he added. “Those guys were all larger than life to me. All I wanted was to have my own suit and helmet.”

After a long and winding road that includes multiple championships in other organizations, Gadson’s dream began to take shape in 2022 when he made his NHRA debut in Dallas. He also raced in a pair of events in 2023, but his real break came last year when he was selected to replace four-time world champ Eddie Krawiec as the rider for the RevZilla/Vance & Hines team. 

Gadson’s first full season with the Vance & Hines team had its fair share of highs and lows. On the plus side, he went to three final rounds, finished No. 3 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Motorcycle standings, and was a finalist for the prestigious NHRA Rookie of the Year award. On the other hand, Gadson also took a few lumps but tried to use them as a learning experience. 

“I’m going to be really honest here and say that I wasn’t ready for this deal,” Gadson said. “From the time I got an official offer until our first race was about 30 days. We’d just had a baby, and I’d started a towing company in Tennessee. Now, I’ve got a month to move my family and get ready. I was about 10 pounds overweight and not prepared physically or mentally. It probably took me until about Indy to get fully into the groove.

“Yes, this was my dream, but I also remember telling Eddie [Krawiec] that if I was just going to ride the bike, I probably wouldn’t make it,” he said. “If they were gonna get the best of me, I really needed to work at Vance & Hines. It’s funny. I didn’t hear back for about two months.”

Today, Gadson isn’t just the Vance & Hines rider, he’s an integral part of their Brownsburg, Ind., operation. During the week, he works in the area of product development, including its own ECU (engine control unit) and a new line of Suzuki Hayabusa exhaust systems. 

Gadson admits that a winless 2024 season left him a bit frustrated, but he’s able to put all that in perspective as he looks at the many positives that emanated from his rookie season. 

“It was frustrating, especially when another bike [Gaige Herrera] is winning all the time,” said Gadson. “You feel like you are good enough to be there, but you’re also not entitled to a win. Vance & Hines don’t owe it to you. NHRA doesn’t owe it to you, and the guy in the other lane certainly doesn’t owe it to you.

“The Reading finals was tough because my family was there, and I didn’t have to run Gaige or Matt [Smith], so I thought it was my time,” he said. “No disrespect to Hector [Arana Jr.], but those two guys dominated. I hated to lose, but how bad was it really? I’m there racing a motorcycle for the top team in the class. I’ve got no complaints.”

While his primary goal remains winning races and contending for championships, Gadson also sees the bigger picture, and he’s determined to help grow the sport. To that end, he’s got a strong social media presence and uses it wisely.

“My main goal is to take everyone on the ride with me, especially when it comes to new riders,” he said. “The people I raced with used to think NHRA was out of reach. That’s something that Gaige and I are passionate about. We know there is a lot of talent outside of NHRA, and we want to see them get the same opportunity that we got.”