NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

At the end of the 2019 season, Jianna Evaristo pulled off what some consider to be one of the biggest upsets in NHRA history when she won the season-ending event in Pomona. Evaristo was well down the qualifying order but benefited from misfortune from each of her opponents including Andrew Hines, who fouled, and Steve Johnson, Matt Smith, and Jerry Savoie, who each had their share of difficulties.

Fast forward to 2024 and Evaristo knows that the next time she visits the winner’s circle at an NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event, no one will call it a fluke. Racing as a member of Matt Smith’s multi-bike Buell team, Evaristo has made tremendous progress this season. Evaristo went to a second final round in Bristol but her most recent appearance in Sonoma may have been the best race of her career. Not only did Evaristo reach the final of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, but she also made the best runs of her career with a 6.674 at 204.54 mph.

“Honestly, I feel like I’m in that insurance commercial where the guy has a dollar bill on the end of a fishing pole and I’m chasing it,” said Evaristo. “I’m so close, but I just haven’t gotten there yet. It’s a little bit frustrating, but if anything, it’s a reminder of how much more I still have to learn. I know what I need to do to step up and I’m just trying to work on the things I can control.

“That win in 2019 maybe gave me a false sense of security. I was a way worse rider than I am now, and my bike was not even close to the best in the field but somehow, we won. Now, I have a great bike under me, and I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress as a rider but I haven’t won, and I wonder why not?”

Riding a Pro Stock Motorcycle isn’t easy, especially the current crop of 200-mph bikes that don’t always mind their manners. Evaristo has the added challenge of moving from a Suzuki to a Buell V-twin, a move that came at the behest of team owner Matt Smith, who now fields four V-twin bikes at each event.

“The Buell is a bit harder to ride [than the Suzuki]. It has more torque and it vibrates a lot more, but honestly I feel like it suits my riding style a bit more,” said Evaristo. “I feel like right now, my comfort level is as good ore better than it was on the Suzuki.

“We made a lot of runs in testing and fortunately, I’m one of the people who really enjoys testing. Making all those runs has allowed me to catch up to the people who have been riding these [Buell V-twins] for a lot longer than I have.”

Riding her six-second Scrappers Buell has become almost second nature for Evaristo so what’s the biggest area where she’d like to improve?

“Oh, it’s reaction times for sure,” she said. “I feel like I’m a better rider, and now I just need to become a better racer. I’m not as worried about what the bike is doing so I really need to focus on the starting line and cutting a clean light. I’m making progress, but it’s still something that I work on constantly.”

After two runs at Indy, Evaristo is third in the field with a 6.859, and she’s got the second fastest run of the event so far at 199.29 mph.