Matt Smith has never hidden from large goals. If anything, he prefers to say them out loud so everyone in the room knows what is at stake.
Friday night under the lights at zMAX Dragway, Matt Smith took another swing at immortality in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Smith rode to the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals with a 6.739-second pass at 203.09 mph, putting himself in position to break one of the category’s most respected records.
If the run holds through Saturday’s remaining sessions, Smith will own the most No. 1 qualifiers in Pro Stock Motorcycle history. He entered the weekend tied with Angelle Sampey at 59.
For a six-time world champion, that kind of number still matters. Smith has rings, wins, and reputation, but racers wired like him still chase marks that last longer than trophies.
The road to Friday night’s top spot was not smooth. His first qualifying run was troubled almost from the hit.
“Yeah, the first session we had a [inaudible] out, so it missed once in low gear, once in second, and then once in third, and then it went three, four misses in fourth, and I just shut it off,” Smith said. “I knew something was wrong. I was hoping I wasn’t off that much on the tuneup, but it was just… We had a big [inaudible] problem.”
That meant turning the bike around quickly while also managing a crowded operation. Smith’s team is attempting to field five motorcycles this weekend, a workload that can strain even established programs.
“So we came back, we fixed it, and we’re trying to run five bikes this weekend, and it’s a handful,” Smith said. “But all in all, we sat Michael Ray out that round so we could focus on our stuff.”
The decision paid off immediately.
With the first bike out in the evening session, Smith went to the top and then waited to see if anyone could knock him off. Even he was not convinced it would survive the session.
“And with the first bike out, we went to number one,” Smith said. “So I didn’t think it’d stick. I drove to the center line, but all in all, it did stick, and we’re number one. So Extenso Red Line Oil bike is pretty mean right now.”
Doing it at home added another layer. Smith has long considered zMAX Dragway home turf, and he knows the local crowd knows exactly what they are watching.
“At our home track, for the hometown fans, North Carolina, I mean, this is where I’ve always lived, and it’s just a great place to race at,” Smith said. “I love the four wide. I know a lot of people don’t like it, but I love it.”
That opinion separates him from plenty of racers who still prefer traditional pairings. Smith sees four-wide racing as one more problem to solve.
“It’s a challenge,” Smith said. “And I’m getting old. I’ll have more challenges than just the regular tradition.”
When told older racers liking challenges sounded unusual, Smith did not blink.
“Yes, I do. I do,” he said. “It’s what keeps me going.”
The speed number may have been just as meaningful as the elapsed time.
At more than 203 mph, Smith showed his program has found ground after battling through last season’s fuel changes. NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle teams, like Pro Stock car teams, were forced to transition from Sunoco to VP fuel, and Smith said the adjustment cost his team valuable time.
“We switched fuels last year, so all the Pro Stock car and Pro Stock bike had to switch fuels from Sunoco to VP, and we just really struggled with the VP last year,” Smith said. “It’s better. We make more power on the dyno, but it wouldn’t run faster down racetrack.”
That sent the team into a winter of study, testing, and data work.
“And we did a lot of combustion analysis over the winter. We did a lot of testing. We did a lot of work,” Smith said. “VP helped us out with a bunch of stuff. We learned some stuff and we got it better.”
Smith said Gainesville showed flashes but not enough execution. Charlotte, he said, was supposed to look different.
“My goal was to come here and have all four bikes in the top eight,” Smith said. “So the riders just got to show up, the other riders, and we’ll have four good bikes. I can promise you that.”
