On Sunday at Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., Nov., showed once again why his one of the best riders in the history of NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle class.

Needing a race win to secure his fifth NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle world title, Smith delivered a victory and a world championship to his Matt Smith Racing team.

Smith’s now won five PSM world championships in 2007, 2013, 2018, 2020 and 2021. Smith was piloting a Denso-sponsored Buell.

“Everything worked out for the good and God is great, that’s all I can say,” Smith said. 

Smith finished the season with 2,721 points to edge Suzuki riders Angelle Sampey (2,590) and Steve Johnson (2,586).

With five world titles, Smith is now tied with Andrew Hines on NHRA’s all-time list and he’s just one title short of tying all-time leader, the late Dave Schultz.

And Smith made it known in his post-race press conference he will be back next season to make a run at world championship No. 6, but with a different look.

As confirmed to CompetitionPlus.com Nov. 9, in 2022, Jianna Salinas and Jimmy Underdahl would join the multi-time championship-winning team Matt Smith Racing. They will continue to run their Suzuki program. 

Smith said in 2022, he plans to scale back to just two V-twin bikes - those ridden by him and his wife, Angie. 

Scrappers Racing owner Mike Salinas believes that moving his efforts to Matt Smith Racing made solid business and racing sense. 

Smith had two primary teammates with him in 2021, his wife, Angie, and Scotty Pollacheck. Pollacheck, who finished sixth in the points, has opted to take the 2022 season off from racing.

“I’m coming back for a sixth (world championship),” Matt said. “Our Denso sponsorship is renewed. We have picked up to more teammates and we are doing the Suzuki program for Mike Salinas. My focus is I’ve never won on a Suzuki bike and my focus is to win on a Suzuki next year. We know they have an advantage so that’s why I’m building it. That (Buell) bike is put up and stored and done and it is over with. If I go back to a V-twin, I will have a new V-twin built this winter and we will test it and get it ready.

“The main goal is focus on the Suzuki programs next year. I’m going to get my bike ready and try and make Jianna a better rider. That’s the goal I have for this winter. I want to get her a win. I want her to get a Top 10 and get her competitive in a Suzuki program.” 

Throughout the 2021 season, Matt was donning long hair, but that was going to end Sunday evening in Pomona.

“I think they are all cutting it out there,” he said. “When we do the pictures, I’m donating the hair to Locks of Love. My mom is a head nurse, and she shaves her head every year in September and donates her hair and I told her I would do the same thing, but I wanted to wait until the end of the year to do it. We are going to do it and put it a Ziploc bag and give it to her when we get home.”