Thu, 24 Sep 2009, 01:14 PM Monday's Concord Test Encourages Rider Smith for Texas

Courtesy of Judy Stropus

ENNIS, Tex. -- Following his first-round finish at the NHRA Carolina Nationals on Sunday in Concord, N.C., Nitro Fish Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Matt Smith and the team, led by tuner Steve Tartaglia, tested at zMAX Dragway on Monday. Solid results show promise as the Nitro Fish team prepares for the NHRA Fall Nationals this weekend at the Texas Motorplex.

"Testing went really well," said Smith, who is sixth in the Countdown to 1 playoffs for the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, which began in Concord for the remaining five races for the PSM class. "We made five runs and we ran three all-out passes and I'm hoping that we're on our game.

"We took the motor out of the bike that we ran in Concord and found a problem with the cam shaft and we stuck another motor in for Monday's test. We put another set of carburetors on it, and I think it's the carburetors more than anything that's been plaguing us all year long.

"First pass we went 7 (seconds) flat, second pass we went 6.93 at 191 mph, and the next time, when it got really hot, the track got really bad, the sun stayed out, we went 6.99 at 191. Every run we made down the track we went quicker and faster than we did on the race weekend.

"I'm feeling really good," added Smith, who was runner-up at the NHRA Fall Nationals in Ennis last year. "I'm actually excited. Steve and I had a 35-minute meeting Sunday evening, in which we discussed what we were going to do, what we want to do. We really got on the same page.

"We know we have to step our program up these last four races, and that's what we've done. We decided to stay and test and do everything it took to get it done. I'm really excited about Texas."

MATT SMITH QUICK FACTS:
* No 6 in Countdown to 1 playoffs after one of five PSM events
* No. 4 in PSM 2009 "regular season" point standings, following runner-up finish in season-opening Gainesville, Fla., event, semifinal finishes in Houston, Atlanta, Englishtown and Sonoma, and six quarterfinals
* Led the standings through two of the first three events
* Clinched a spot in the 2009 Countdown to 1 playoffs in Brainerd, Minn.
* Qualified No. 4 in 2008 Ennis, Texas, event; runner-up to Chris Rivas
* Set national elapsed-time record in Houston 2009 of 6.865 seconds. It has since been eclipsed
* Two No. 1 qualifiers in 2009 (Gainesville and Indianapolis)
* Won 2007 PSM championship, winning four races in nine final rounds
* Was No. 1 seed in 2008 NHRA PSM playoffs, earning 20-point bonus
* No. 3 in 2008 PSM point standings
* Came close to claiming his second straight PSM crown in 2008 after leading the standings for the last six of seven events in the playoffs. A mechanical problem in the final event of the season dropped him to third
* Collected a career-high seven No. 1 qualifiers in 2008
* Debuted in the PSM class in Gainesville, Fla., in 2004
* Is the son of NHRA Pro Stock racer Rickie Smith
* Has 10 career national-event wins in 21 final rounds, and was low qualifier 16 times since joining the class on a limited basis in 2003
* Became a full-time competitor in the class in 2005
* Career round win-loss record is 120-77 in 94 national events
* Career-best elapsed time: 6.865 seconds (Houston 2009)
* Career-best speed: 194.63 mph (Atlanta 2009)
* Lives in King, N.C. - single - engaged to fellow PSM rider Angie McBride
* Born Nov. 11, 1972
* Son Tristan (9/12/96)

SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, Sept. 25 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 2 and 4:45 p.m.
SATURDAY, Sept. 26 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, Sept. 27 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.
FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:
Sunday, Sept. 27, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 12:15 a.m. (ET) Sunday, Sept. 27, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will telecast NHRA Race Day at 11 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 27, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).

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