RICKIE SMITH: FROM CREW CHIEF BACK TO DRIVER
Wed, 2009-09-23 08:41
There’s very little that “Tricky” Rickie Smith hasn’t accomplished in his racing career, which has spanned 30-plus years.
Smith, who resides in King, N.C., won five IHRA Pro Stock world championships and two IHRA Super Modified titles from 1976-89.
In 2007, those accomplishments and many more led to him be named the No. 1 Mountain Motor Pro Stock Racer of All-Time by CompetitionPlus.com and he was voted one of the top four people inducted into the inaugural Bristol Motorsports Hall of Fame class of 2008.
In 2009, Smith took on a new role with Qatar’s Al-Anabi racing team in the Pro Mod series. Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani is in charge of Al-Anabi Racing and with the Pro Mod team partnered with Mike Castellana's Awesome Motorsports. There’s very little that “Tricky” Rickie Smith hasn’t accomplished in his racing career, which has spanned 30-plus years.
Smith, who resides in King, N.C., won five IHRA Pro Stock world championships and two IHRA Super Modified titles from 1976-89.
In 2007, those accomplishments and many more led to him be named the No. 1 Mountain Motor Pro Stock Racer of All-Time by CompetitionPlus.com and he was voted one of the top four people inducted into the inaugural Bristol Motorsports Hall of Fame class of 2008.
In 2009, Smith took on a new role with Qatar’s Al-Anabi racing team in the Pro Mod series. Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani is in charge of Al-Anabi Racing and with the Pro Mod team partnered with Mike Castellana's Awesome Motorsports.
“I was hired by Al-Anabi as a crew chief to be in charge of suspension, gear ratio and the clutch for Al-Anabi’s Pro Mod cars,” Smith said. “Shannon (Jenkins) was in charge of the engine side and stuff like that.”
Awesome/Al-Anabi’s Pro Mod Nitrous drivers include Jenkins, Castellana, K.A Balooshi nd Von Smith pilots a Pro Extreme entry for Awesome/Al-Anabi.
The drivers were having success, but Smith wasn’t happy with his situation with Awesome/Al-Anabi.
“I guess I wasn’t mad at anybody,” the 55-year-old Smith said. “I just wanted to drive and do things my way. I have been racing for over 30 years and that’s what I wanted to continue to do. I told the team (Al-Anabi) on Friday night (Sept. 11) at Rockingham that I wasn’t going to be with the team next year. When I told the team that, the Sheikh said he wanted to stop it now (in regards to Smith working for him). I wasn’t mad that they stopped it, I was just disappointed that I didn’t get to finish out the year. In NASCAR, a lot of people announce that they’re changing jobs or sponsors halfway through a season, but they finish out the year.”
It didn’t take Smith long to land firmly back on his feet.
This past weekend, Smith was driving a Sonny Leonard-engine powered 1968 Camaro in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presented by ProCare Rx in the NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway.
Smith’s day ended early in eliminations when he smoked the clutch, but he still was plenty impressed with what transpired. Smith was running Leonard’s new 864 5.3 bore space nitrous wedge engine. In just his third pass in the car, Smith clocked a 5.95-second elapsed time at over 239 mph.
“I’m just overwhelmed with what we were able to do,” said Smith, who has been good friends with Leonard for years. “This is one bad ass motor.”
Smith also was thrilled to be back behind the wheel.
“That’s probably the most comfortable thing I do,” Smith said. “When you’ve done this for 35 to 36 years like I have, it’s not that big of deal to starting driving again. I just have to get back in my driver’s mode and change from my crew chief mode.”
Smith said he’s considering racing his Pro Mod machine in the IHRA’s President’s Cup Nationals Friday through Sunday at Maryland International Raceway at Budds Creek.
“I’ve been working my ass off and I’m just not sure if I’m going to go because I need to look at the motor,” Smith said.
If Smith doesn’t compete at Budds Creek, he is definitely going to race at the NHRA Virginia Nationals Oct. 9-11 in Richmond and he also will be in the LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals V Oct. 23-24 at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis.
“I don’t see us doing nothing, but going faster and faster,” Smith said.
Smith, who resides in King, N.C., won five IHRA Pro Stock world championships and two IHRA Super Modified titles from 1976-89.
In 2007, those accomplishments and many more led to him be named the No. 1 Mountain Motor Pro Stock Racer of All-Time by CompetitionPlus.com and he was voted one of the top four people inducted into the inaugural Bristol Motorsports Hall of Fame class of 2008.
In 2009, Smith took on a new role with Qatar’s Al-Anabi racing team in the Pro Mod series. Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani is in charge of Al-Anabi Racing and with the Pro Mod team partnered with Mike Castellana's Awesome Motorsports. There’s very little that “Tricky” Rickie Smith hasn’t accomplished in his racing career, which has spanned 30-plus years.
Smith, who resides in King, N.C., won five IHRA Pro Stock world championships and two IHRA Super Modified titles from 1976-89.
In 2007, those accomplishments and many more led to him be named the No. 1 Mountain Motor Pro Stock Racer of All-Time by CompetitionPlus.com and he was voted one of the top four people inducted into the inaugural Bristol Motorsports Hall of Fame class of 2008.
In 2009, Smith took on a new role with Qatar’s Al-Anabi racing team in the Pro Mod series. Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani is in charge of Al-Anabi Racing and with the Pro Mod team partnered with Mike Castellana's Awesome Motorsports.
“I was hired by Al-Anabi as a crew chief to be in charge of suspension, gear ratio and the clutch for Al-Anabi’s Pro Mod cars,” Smith said. “Shannon (Jenkins) was in charge of the engine side and stuff like that.”
Awesome/Al-Anabi’s Pro Mod Nitrous drivers include Jenkins, Castellana, K.A Balooshi nd Von Smith pilots a Pro Extreme entry for Awesome/Al-Anabi.
The drivers were having success, but Smith wasn’t happy with his situation with Awesome/Al-Anabi.
“I guess I wasn’t mad at anybody,” the 55-year-old Smith said. “I just wanted to drive and do things my way. I have been racing for over 30 years and that’s what I wanted to continue to do. I told the team (Al-Anabi) on Friday night (Sept. 11) at Rockingham that I wasn’t going to be with the team next year. When I told the team that, the Sheikh said he wanted to stop it now (in regards to Smith working for him). I wasn’t mad that they stopped it, I was just disappointed that I didn’t get to finish out the year. In NASCAR, a lot of people announce that they’re changing jobs or sponsors halfway through a season, but they finish out the year.”
It didn’t take Smith long to land firmly back on his feet.
This past weekend, Smith was driving a Sonny Leonard-engine powered 1968 Camaro in the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presented by ProCare Rx in the NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway.
Smith’s day ended early in eliminations when he smoked the clutch, but he still was plenty impressed with what transpired. Smith was running Leonard’s new 864 5.3 bore space nitrous wedge engine. In just his third pass in the car, Smith clocked a 5.95-second elapsed time at over 239 mph.
“I’m just overwhelmed with what we were able to do,” said Smith, who has been good friends with Leonard for years. “This is one bad ass motor.”
Smith also was thrilled to be back behind the wheel.
“That’s probably the most comfortable thing I do,” Smith said. “When you’ve done this for 35 to 36 years like I have, it’s not that big of deal to starting driving again. I just have to get back in my driver’s mode and change from my crew chief mode.”
Smith said he’s considering racing his Pro Mod machine in the IHRA’s President’s Cup Nationals Friday through Sunday at Maryland International Raceway at Budds Creek.
“I’ve been working my ass off and I’m just not sure if I’m going to go because I need to look at the motor,” Smith said.
If Smith doesn’t compete at Budds Creek, he is definitely going to race at the NHRA Virginia Nationals Oct. 9-11 in Richmond and he also will be in the LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals V Oct. 23-24 at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis.
“I don’t see us doing nothing, but going faster and faster,” Smith said.
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