Team Press Releases

CHARLOTTE, NC (March 13, 2011) – Matt Smith and his Al-Anabi Racing Buell headed into the first race of the season for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class in Gainesville, Florida knowing he was down on power. The 2007 Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion raced all winter in Qatar, and needed a little more time preparation for the first race on the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Series tour. “We knew coming here we had a sixth to ninth place bike,” said Smith. “We have a few off weeks, so we will go back to the shop and tackle the horsepower department. Got a lot of R&D to do.” Smith qualified in the number five spot, and had to face his wife, Angie Smith, first round. The two Smith’s would rather face off in the final round, but come as it may...

CHARLOTTE, NC (March 13, 2011) – Greg Stanfield and his Team Safety Sentry Motorsports Pontiac GXP had a good weekend. Qualifying in the number eighth spot and defeating Allen Johnson first round was a task in itself. “It is never any fun being the first pair on the track,” said Stanfield. “When you qualify eighth or ninth you always know you will be the first pair down the track on Sunday morning. The good thing is we came out on top.” Advancing to the second round, Stanfield knew he would have his work cut out for him. Having to take on the number one qualifier of Rodger Brogdon. The 2010 Runner-up in the NHRA Full Throttle Championship point standings did what he does best, and left on Brogdon, however Brogdon would walk away...

CHARLOTTE, NC (March 13, 2011) – Well this time around was a different outcome for the husband and wife duo. Angie Smith and her Team Safety Sentry Motorsports Buell had a bittersweet weekend in Gainesville, Florida. Smith struggled a bit the first day of qualifying, but the second day she found her groove and qualified in the 12th position for Sunday’s race. The only problem was that she had to run her husband, Matt Smith, the 2007 Champ, first round. The duo last raced each other first round at the last race of the year in 2010, where Angie won. This time however, was a different story. Her husband would get the advantage and take the win light. “It sucks racing Matthew first round,” said Angie Smith. “One of us had to lose...

CHARLOTTE, NC (March 12, 2011) – The Team Safety Sentry Buell of Angie Smith kicked the beginning of her 2011 NHRA Full Throttle season into high gear right off the bat today in Gainesville, Florida. The drag racing beauty ran her career best time in the last session. Smith ran a 6.926 et at 190.59 mph. The time locked her into the 12th position for the first race of the season for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class. Smith is very excited about her run, but she is not so happy that she has to race her husband, Matt Smith first round on Sunday. “We had a really good day,” says Smith. “We had great runs both times out today. It just stinks that I have to race my hubby tomorrow. I just hope to have the same result as Pomona.” Last...

CHARLOTTE, NC (March 12, 2011) – Greg Stanfield and his Team Safety Sentry Motorsports Pontiac GXP will start eighth on Sunday at the 42nd annual Tire Kingdom NHRA GatorNationals. Not running as good as he did on Friday, Stanfield is optimistic about raceday. “We struggled today,” says Stanfield. “We will just regroup and get ready for Sunday. This is not the first time we have been in this situation and it won’t be the last either, so you just have to learn how to adapt. We will work on it and see what we can do tomorrow.” Stanfield clocked in his fastest and quickest career best time ever on Friday at a 6.512 et at 211.89 mph. He will face off against Allen Johnson in the morning as the pros get things started at 11 a.m.

CHARLOTTE, NC (March 12, 2011) – The 2011 NHRA Full Throttle season has not been what Bob Yonke has hoped for so far. With a new racecar, Yonke has struggled to make the field twice out of two races. Yonke and his Paramount Pictures “Rango” Pontiac GXP have a little bit of work to do. With only 12 runs on the new GXP, Yonke knows he needs to get some more testing under his belt. However with testing being limited to certain racetracks, it’s hard to get a lot done. “We just need to figure this new car out,” says Yonke. “We need more testing. We spent the off-season searching for sponsorship, so we haven’t gotten to run this car enough. It reacts totally different than Greg’s (Stanfield) car, so we got some work to do. We have a...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 12, 2011) - Jim Underdahl got a tough draw in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle eliminations ladder after four rounds of qualifying at the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals. Despite earning a respectable No. 11 position with his quarter-mile qualifying pass of 6.918 seconds at 196.87 mph to his opponent's only slightly quicker 6.880-second run, and regardless of the fact that both riders will be on the back of Suzuki motorcycles, there is one big difference. One. "His bike has a big number ONE on it," Underdahl said with a laugh. In order to get past the first round of eliminations on Sunday, 25-year-old Underdahl will have to take out the reigning NHRA Full Throttle PSM Champion, 21-year old LE Tonglett. Call...

Gainesville, Fla., March 12, 2011 – The Star Racing team and rookie rider Michael Ray overcame the odds on Saturday, qualifying 13th for Sunday’s final eliminations of the Tire Kingdom Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. Fighting to overcome the daunting challenge presented by a 27-bike field and record-setting conditions at Gainesville Raceway, team owner George Bryce, crew chief Ken Johnson and rider Michael Ray coaxed their S&S powered Buell to a best time of 6.933-seconds, 187.52 mph run, an impressive accomplishment considering neither team nor rider had entered an NHRA event in two years, and had done limited testing prior to the event. “Even though I believe we could have run much better than we have so far, for the...

Gainesville, Fla. (March 12, 2011) – What a difference a day makes. Mopar® Dodge Avenger NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson and NASCAR Sprint Cup star and Shell Dodge Avenger Pro Stock driver Kurt Busch were shaking their heads after the first day of qualifying yesterday at the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway. Following their final two qualifying runs today, the Mopar Dodge drivers had changed from head-shaking to fist-pumping, as Busch rocketed from dead last to qualify No. 12 and Johnson reeled off two solid runs, securing his No. 9 spot on the qualifying charts. Johnson and his J&J Racing crew had invested much time and effort into helping Busch adjust to the Pro Stock ranks, supplying Mopar...