Gladstone's Unexpected Return Brings Old Memories Back to Life

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series rolls into Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, for the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals from June 25 to 28, and one storyline stands out amid the usual frenzy of qualifying passes and elimination rounds.

Joey Gladstone, the Pro Stock motorcycle rider who spent years working toward a breakthrough before emerging as one of the category's biggest success stories in 2022, is climbing back aboard a competitive motorcycle after stepping away from full-time competition in 2024. This time he is substituting for Matt Smith on the Denso machine while the six-time champion recovers from health challenges.

Gladstone made his first competitive runs in the role at Bristol, picking up a round win before falling in the second round. Now he brings that experience to Norwalk, a venue that has become meaningful in more ways than one. These appearances carry layers of meaning for Gladstone, his longtime friend and former teammate Cory Reed, and the fans who remember his breakout performances.

Gladstone's 2022 campaign remains a high point in his career and in the recent history of the PSM class. He and Reed built something special on their Hayabusas. The duo turned heads with consistent speed and win-lights throughout the season.

"We were running Suzuki's with Vance and Hines power and we kind of found a good tune up that would work," Gladstone explained. "...and got in a groove and things started happening for us."

The results spoke for themselves with victories in Sonoma, Topeka, and Reading plus additional strong showings that put him among the most talked about riders that season. He posted career-best numbers including a 6.72 elapsed time and 202.18 mph. It looked like the foundation for a serious championship push, with Gladstone riding at the peak of his abilities and the team clicking on all cylinders week after week.

Instead, 2023 brought private challenges that no amount of tuning or horsepower could overcome.

"Cory's son got diagnosed with cancer and my wife and I lost our son that year and it was just a really hard year," Gladstone said. "It just kind of was kicking the crap out of us on a personal level and racing just didn't seem that important at the time."

A move from Virginia to North Carolina, new involvement at KB Titan Racing's Pro Stock organization, and repeated engine failures on their motorcycles early that season added to the strain.

"We hurt probably around 4 engines in a very short manner of time. And that kind of took the wind out of our sails."

Early into the 2024 season, the decision felt right to step back from full-time riding. The personal losses and mechanical setbacks created an emotional transition that shifted priorities away from the motorcycle, though the connection to the sport endured through new roles.

They didn't quit. They simply found a different path. Gladstone grew into his role within KB Titan while Reed pursued a Pro Stock car racing license and eventually found success of his own, including a breakthrough national event victory at Norwalk in 2025.

Gladstone was there for every step of that journey.

"We were surrounded by Pro Stock cars. Why not give it [Pro Stock cars] a try?" he recalled.

The Norwalk victory remains one of the most emotional moments in recent NHRA Pro Stock history, and Gladstone was right there to experience it. Norwalk holds special resonance as the site of Reed's triumph and now Gladstone's return, tying personal history to the track's atmosphere and community.

*Photo: NHRA Communications*

"Going up to the semis we were late getting up there and while we were towing up, the golf cart ran out of gas," Gladstone remembered. "So we started pushing it. We were still probably an 1/8th-mile away from the staging lanes and we started pushing it. Luckily one of our teammates DJ unhooked from Greg's car and put his foot out and started pushing the car. We barely made it, but ended up winning the semis."

In the final round, Reed delivered.

"Cory went out there and had a 0.012 reaction time and went straight down the racetrack. Regardless of what happened in the other lane you knew Cory was going to win that race. It was just kind of an overwhelming emotion. I was like, finally. This kid, he's been through so much and especially the last couple years. Finally he gets a Wally. It was a very special day."

For Gladstone, moments like that reinforced why he never completely left the sport. The motorcycles may have been parked, but the friendships, memories, and passion for racing remained.

*Photo: Sadie Glenn / SR Driven Media*

Approaching the 2026 NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS in May, six-time Pro Stock motorcycle champion Matt Smith experienced a medical emergency that forced him off of the motorcycle. Though unable to compete, Smith returned to the track that weekend as a team owner while beginning treatment and recovery from a series of health issues he later detailed publicly, including complications with his gallbladder, kidney stones, and pancreas.
Gladstone crossed paths with Smith that weekend. Having remained active around the NHRA pits and involved with KB Titan Racing since stepping away from full-time competition, he was still a familiar face throughout the paddock. What seemed like a casual conversation, however, soon took on greater significance.

"He said, 'I'll be calling you soon,'" Gladstone recalled.

At the time, Gladstone did not know exactly what Smith meant. The answer began to reveal itself later that weekend while he stood in the winner's circle celebrating another KB Titan Racing victory. There, Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson (and KB Titan Boss) offered a prediction that immediately caught his attention.

"We were celebrating Greg's win, and he looked at me and said, 'He's going to ask you to ride his bike at Bristol. Do it.'"

The official call from Smith came the following day.

"Matt called me and asked me if I'd be interested in riding and I said, 'Of course!' I told him I'd do the absolute best job that I could for him."

Preparation began immediately.

"That day I started dieting and cut out beer and cut out all the extra carbs and focused on getting in a good headspace and getting light so that I could do the best job I could on this bike."

The lead-up to Bristol tested his confidence after so much time away.

"It was a pretty long two weeks of being in my head. Wondering. It had been so long since I'd ridden anything and I was just wondering if I could still do it."

Protecting the motorcycle weighed heavily on him.

"My first concern was I don't want to tear up any of that stuff. I mean if I fall off the thing it's one thing, but I don't want to mess up any of that stuff. It's very expensive and not to mention it's an iconic bike."

Bristol brought some rust but also reassurance. "There were definitely some cobwebs that needed to be shaken off, but the muscle memory was still there."
He left believing there was more performance available and carries that confidence into Norwalk.There is also a realistic understanding that this opportunity may be temporary.
*Photo: Sadie Glenn / SR Driven Media*

"It all depends on Matt's recovery," Gladstone said. "You know, ideally it'd be best to see Matt off the bike as little as possible. Of course, riding is great. I love riding, especially fast bikes, but I'd rather see Matt on the motorcycle."

Whether Gladstone's appearance at Norwalk becomes the start of another chapter or simply a brief return to a place and a feeling he once knew so well, nobody can say for certain. What is certain is that opportunities like this rarely come around twice.

Gladstone's Unexpected Return Brings Old Memories Back to Life

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