With the Nitro Fish Suzuki's recent improvement in performance, however, he's confident he, crew chief Steve Tartaglia and the rest of the DSR crew can mount a strong push to end the season on a high, beginning at this weekend's NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

"We're hoping to be able to do something with our Nitro Fish Suzuki," said Smith, who married fellow PSM rider Angie McBride on Oct. 16, and is fourth in the playoffs standings. "We have it running well and we're going to try to get our first win for this team to close out the season.

"I think third in points is the best we can do. There's three of us fighting for third place (including Michael Phillips and Andrew Hines). I don't think we can do much better than that, because we're too far behind." Smith is 167 points out of first place, 139 short of second and only two points behind third-place Phillips. Mathematically, though, he's still in the chase, as there are 120 points available each weekend, which includes 20 points per round win, eight points for the No. 1 qualifier, 20 bonus points for setting a national elapsed-time record, and 12 total bonus points for the quickest qualifier in each of four rounds of qualifying.

"We've had a tough season. As a team, we won't be satisfied with third. It's difficult knowing that we don't have a chance of winning a championship in the last two races. If we can close the season out with maybe a couple of final rounds and a win, I think that will do us a lot of good as a team."

Smith, who has 10 career national-event wins in 21 final rounds, has never reached a final round at The Strip at Las Vegas since he entered the class in 2004.

MATT SMITH QUICK FACTS:
* No 4 in Countdown to 1 playoffs after three 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. 6 in Las Vegas in 2008, lost semis to Eddie Krawiec
* Set national elapsed-time record in Houston 2009 of 6.865 seconds. It has since been eclipsed
* Has 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 124-79 in 96 national events
* Career-best elapsed time: 6.865 seconds (Houston 2009)
* Career-best speed: 194.63 mph (Atlanta 2009)
* Lives in King, N.C., married to fellow PSM rider Angie McBride
* Born Nov. 11, 1972
* Son Tristan (9/12/96)

SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, Oct. 30 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
SATURDAY, Oct. 31 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, Nov. 1 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:
Saturday, Oct. 31, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 11:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Nov 1, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 2:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Nov. 1, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 7:30 p.m. (ET).

Courtesy of Judy Stropus