COMEBACK COMPLETE FOR
SMITH AT ROUTE 66 NHRA
A
lot has happened to Matt
Smith so far this season and
not much of it has been positive.
The two-time NHRA Pro Stock
Motorcycle Champion began the
season as a member of Joe Ric-
cardi's San Marino Suzuki team
but that partnership lasted just
one race. Smith failed to qualify at
the season-opener in Gainesville
and the partnership dissolved
a short time later. Left with few
options, Smith brought out his
Victory-bodied bike, which had
been mothballed after he lost his
corporate funding at the end of
the 2017 season, at the Chicago
round of the 2018 season, June
2-3. After a couple of tough races,
Smith claimed his first win since
the 2016 season when he defeat-
ed Nitro Fish Suzuki's LE Tonglet,
6.816 to 6.862. In the final, both
riders struggled to maintain con-
trol in the face of a stiff headwind,
but Smith prevailed to break a
winless streak that extends to the
end of the 2016 season.
"This has been a long time
coming," said Smith. "We're not
exactly where we want to be but
we're getting closer. Obviously,
I got behind the eight ball when
that other [San Marino] deal fell
apart, but at the same time, my
bike is very good and I know I've
got good engines. It was just a
matter of getting the bike put back
together and making some test
runs so we'd know what we had.
We tested in Michigan earlier this
week and we learned a lot. I knew
coming in here that we'd be quick.
"I had to ride the bike in the
final," Smith said. "It went left and
kept going and going. I almost
gave up on it. I glanced over and
didn't see LE over there. I said,
'screw it.' Richard [Freeman, Elite
Performance owner] is buying
me a new body so if we tear it up,
IN
THE
WIND
P36
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
MATT
POLITO
Matt Smith and crew
celebrate a seemingly
unlikely victory at the Route
66 NHRA in Chicago.
