Smith, new to Don Schumacher Racing this season, crashed there in 2003 and won in 2006.

"Englishtown has been good and bad for me. In 2003 I qualified there in the first run and hit the wall going through the lights and I was out the rest of the year. Then we came back and won it in 2006.

"I'm excited to be racing at Raceway Park again," said Smith, who reached the semifinal round there last year, then lost to Chip Ellis. "The last time I won that race my dad (Rickie Smith) was there, my mom was there, my whole family was there on Father's Day weekend. And my dad will be there this weekend racing a Pro Mod car. Maybe we can bring the magic back again, although it's not Father's Day this time."

Smith's season so far has had its ups and downs. He led the point standings early on, went to one final round and two semifinals and set a national record. But the performance of the Suzuki tuned by crew chief Steve Tartaglia has given the team headaches. Smith has slipped to third place, but is just two points out of second place and 53 short of first.

"We can't figure out why the bike is so inconsistent right now," said Smith. "On one pass it is, on the next pass it isn't, even when we don't make any changes. So, Steve and the rest of the Nitro Fish team are working hard on figuring out the problems and getting us back on track."

As for the parity between the Harleys in the class and the Buells and Suzukis, now that NHRA has added 20 pounds to the Harleys, "I think parity is fine right now," said Smith, "although I don't think the Harleys are showing their full hand right now, and I don't think they will for a while. They're where they need to be; they're one and two in the points. I think they'll start showing it again come Indy (the U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend).

"We hope we can get a win this weekend in Englishtown, then spend Father's Day next weekend with Dad and the family on the lake at home."

MATT SMITH QUICK FACTS:
* No. 3 in PSM 2009 point standings, following runner-up finish in season opening Gainesville, Fla., event, semifinal finishes in Houston and Atlanta and two quarterfinals
* Is two points behind second place Andrew Hines; 53 short of Eddie Krawiec in first
* E-town winner in 2006
* Qualified No. 3 in E-town in 2008, lose semifinal to Chip Ellis
* Set national elapsed-time record in Houston 2009 of 6.865 seconds. It has since been eclipsed
* Was No. 1 qualifier in Gainesville 2009
* 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 15 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 112-69 in 86 national events
* Career-best elapsed time: 6.865 seconds (Houston 2009)
* Career-best seed: 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, June 12 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 3 and 6 p.m.
SATURDAY, June 13 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at noon and 3 p.m.
SUNDAY, June 14 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:
Saturday, June 13, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise one hour of qualifying highlights at 7 p.m. (ET).
Saturday, June 13, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise one hour of qualifying highlights at 11:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, June 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at noon (ET).
Sunday, June 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage starting at 10 p.m. (ET).

Courtesy of Judy Stropus