Championship Drag Racing

ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals
Las Vegas, Nev.
(October 30-November 2)

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Driver Profile

Matt Smith MSR/Viper Motorcycles Buell

Las Vegas, Sunday: NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Motorcycle Point’s Leader, Matt Smith fought electrical gremlins all weekend as he battled his way to a semi-final appearance at the Las Vegas track.

Smith made one good pass the entire three days he was at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which came first round on Sunday.

Smith qualified his Nitrofish Buell in the sixth position going into Sunday’s eliminations and was far from pleased with that result.  Saturday night, Smith’s pit area was mayhem.  He had everything that dealt with his bike completely apart trying to find the source of his problem.

“We definitely did not have the weekend we wanted,” said the 2007 POWERade Champ, Smith.  “We had severe electrical issues with our bike on Friday and Saturday.  Sunday it managed to run a great number first round, but that was about it.”

Smith went into Vegas with a 42 point lead and walked away with a mere 19 point lead, which is one round of racing.

“We will figure out the problem and we will fix it,” said Smith.  “I will not rest until everything is ready and perfect, then we will go to Pomona and give it all we got to try and win again.”

The Champ will head into the last race of the season as the points leader and he hopes to end the year with it as well.

“Anything can happen at the end,” said Smith.  “I am living proof of that.

After last year’s crazy ending, Smith knows anything can happen in Pomona.  After all last year, Smith went in third in the points, three rounds down, and emerged as the Champion when it was all said a done.

Smith knows what it takes to win and he will work every minute of every day to make sure he is ready for a shot at his second title in two weeks as the NHRA season ends in Pomona.

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