People chuckle that drag racers compete for just a few seconds. That might be true, but during eliminations at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Norwalk, Ohio, Pro Stock Motorcycle finalists Matt Smith and Steve Johnson discovered those few seconds – just a single round – can be spread over several hours.

The NHRA almost completed two rounds Sunday before brisk winds and heavy rain moved in, leaving only one pair of Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors, No. 1 qualifier Steve Johnson and opponent Angie Smith, at the starting line. Already advancing to the semifinals were Eddie Krawiec, Joey Gladstone, and Matt Smith.

But the Smith team and Johnson waited it out, and in the end it came down to the Smith team and Johnson – Matt Smith and Steve Johnson. It was a juicy match-up for fans who have enjoyed the behind-the-scenes drama in the past year or two between those two as they quarreled about Smith’s term “hobby racer” and Johnson’s animated protests.

Another brief rain shower delayed the showdown. Finally, the spoils went to Smith, who used a 6.782-second elapsed time at 200.56 mph to end Johnson’s momentum. Johnson countered with a 6.836, 196.10.

Johnson had won the four-wide race at Charlotte in the previous appearance for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class. And he had swiped the top starting spot in the final qualifying session Saturday. Johnson was on a roll.

And four-time series champion Smith said after celebrating his 28th overall victory and second this season that he thinks he’s largely responsible for Johnson’s rededication to his craft.

“Steve stepped his game up,” Smith said. “They say we’ve had a rivalry and we’ve had words before. But probably my words of him being a hobby racer has probably made him work harder, because now he’s become a fulltime racer and is doing his own motor program. And look what it’s done for him.”

Smith said, “You just got to work hard out here. And people that work hard, it shows up. That just shows ya – he stepped his game up, and we’ve been on our game for the last three years. And trust me, me and Angie [wife/business partner, riding teammate Smith] work hard in that shop. We take care of all four of these motorcycles.”

The winner said his day – regardless of the weather – was a tough one. He had to get past Jianna Salinas, Las Vegas winner and Gatornationals runner-up Ryan Oehler, and Joey Gladstone to reach the final round.

“The first round, when you’ve got a fast bike, you just want to turn the win light on. It doesn’t matter what your actual time is, what your E.T. is and all that. But I had to race Jianna. The last time I raced Jianna, it cost me the championship,” Smith said. “I told somebody, ‘I hope she didn’t find that horseshoe she lost at Pomona.’ But anyway, we got past Jianna.

“And we had Ryan Oehler. I knew we just had to turn it [the win light] green, and we had a better bike than he did. We got our job done there,” he said.

“Then I had to take on Eddie Krawiec. They’re tough,” Smith said of the Vance & Hines contingent that includes Andrew Hines and Angelle Sampey – multi-time champions all, just like himself. “As for Krawiec’s bike, Smith said, “All that is is a Buell bodywork with a Harley motor in it. We know how fast their motors are. They’ve got the aerodynamic package that we have now. They’re a contender. They just don’t have all their ducks in a row, but they’ll be back – they’re here.”

Smith called this victory “very satisfying” and said, “It’s hard to do this out here. This is the top of the line for motorcycle racing. To come out here and do this, I feel privileged. I’ve been honored to be able to do it.

“We have a good team. We had a great team last year, and we won four of the eight races with our team. And this year, now it’s our second – and Scotty [Pollacheck] has won one this year [at Atlanta]. So out of five races, we’ve won three of ’em.”

He said he was proud of riders Angie Smith and Pollacheck but also his crew members Nate, the team’s “new guy, Cookie Man, and Michael Ray.

Smith said, “We have a great team. And as long as you keep the team intact, normally everything goes good.”

It has gone exceptionally well so far for Matt Smith Racing.