Success in the hyper-competitive world of NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycles is all about connections and friendships.

Consider the case of two-time world champion Matt Smith at Sonoma Raceway Saturday.

 After repeated struggles at the starting line, Smith turned to his wife and fellow rider Angie Smith for a little favor.

What happened next is a lesson to a happy marriage.

“We were running very big speeds, but we just couldn’t get off the line,” Matt Smith said. “My wife made a good pass in Q3 and went a 6.811.”

At the time, Matt and Angie were scheduled to face each other in the first round of eliminations. A quick and clever deal was struck before the final qualifying session.

“I told her that we needed to scuff a new tire in, so we negotiated,” Matt said. “I got her a wheel and tire for her bike and she put a new one on to scuff in.”

This love story ended in the best way possible for the Smiths.

“We got the pole,” Matt said.

With a pass of 6.771 seconds at 198.70 mph, Matt Smith earned his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and 26th of his career. He accomplished that feat in what emerged as the quickest field in Pro Stock Motorcycle history.  

“We just couldn’t get off the line, and it ended up being a tire problem,” Matt Smith said.

Before Smith’s dramatic blast, Hector Arana Jr. topped the charts with his run of 6.773 seconds.

Including Chip Ellis and Angie Smith, the three Matt Smith Racing Motorcycles all qualified in the top eight.

“I’m excited about tomorrow,” Matt Smith said. “Angie scuffed a good tire in and we will have it on tomorrow. This Victory Magnum will be pretty hateful.”

While the weather conditions presented a major curveball in the three other major categories Saturday, Smith indicated that he wasn’t overly concerned about the track conditions.

“We’ll wake up tomorrow and see what the weather is like, but we were fast Friday and today,” he said.

Steve Johnson’s bump position time of 6.890 completed the final piece of the quickest-ever field in the category. The old standard was established at the same Sonoma event last year.

Several riders posted times in the mid 190-mph range, with Andrew Hines posting the fifth best speed in Pro Stock Motorcycle history in the third session with a time of 199.555 mph on his Harley-Davidson.

Matt Smith will face Johnson in the first round of eliminations, while Arana Jr. will be pitted against Cory Reed.

Another intriguing first round matchup will be a showdown between colorful Louisiana natives Angelle Sampey and Jerry Savoie.