[coverattach=1]Five times this season she’s gone to the starting line in the first round, and five times she’s gone home early.
It wasn’t the way Angie Smith pictured the way her first full season of NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racing would begin. Neither did Matt Smith, her husband and tuner of Karl and Kim Klement’s Coffman Tank Truck entry.
An assortment of parts woes – even a highly unusual motorcycle fuel fire – has frustrated both Smiths, but they believe better days are ahead, beginning Friday when they begin qualifying for the Route 66 Nationals at Joliet, Ill.
“We’ve had problems with Angie’s bike since the season began,” Matt Smith said. “We’ve changed motors, transmissions, clutches, everything on it . . . so we decided to change the bike and see what happens. Karl and Kim Klement gave us the okay to use the same bike I rode to the 2007 NHRA championship.”
“I’m excited,” Angie said. “Matthew tested the bike Tuesday at Rockingham (N.C. Raceway). He made three runs and said everything looked good. I’m looking forward to seeing how well it runs this weekend. It really has been a struggle this year and we all hope that part is over.”
She still has an opportunity to push her way into the top 10 and secure a playoff berth in the Countdown to 1. She is tied for 14th with 157 points, 83 shy of the 10th spot and 100 out of seventh
place with six races to go in the Countdown to 10.
“We hope to start winning rounds at Joliet so we can start cutting into the leads of the riders ahead of us,” she said. “We want to get into the top 10 and make the Countdown to 1. That’s our goal.”
# # #
Race schedule: Qualifying: Friday, 3 and 6 p.m.; Saturday, noon and 3 p.m. Sunday eliminations: noon.
Television: ESPN2, all times ET
Saturday, qualifying highlights, 11 p.m.-1 a.m.; Sunday, eliminations, 4-7 p.m.
It wasn’t the way Angie Smith pictured the way her first full season of NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racing would begin. Neither did Matt Smith, her husband and tuner of Karl and Kim Klement’s Coffman Tank Truck entry.
An assortment of parts woes – even a highly unusual motorcycle fuel fire – has frustrated both Smiths, but they believe better days are ahead, beginning Friday when they begin qualifying for the Route 66 Nationals at Joliet, Ill.
“We’ve had problems with Angie’s bike since the season began,” Matt Smith said. “We’ve changed motors, transmissions, clutches, everything on it . . . so we decided to change the bike and see what happens. Karl and Kim Klement gave us the okay to use the same bike I rode to the 2007 NHRA championship.”
“I’m excited,” Angie said. “Matthew tested the bike Tuesday at Rockingham (N.C. Raceway). He made three runs and said everything looked good. I’m looking forward to seeing how well it runs this weekend. It really has been a struggle this year and we all hope that part is over.”
She still has an opportunity to push her way into the top 10 and secure a playoff berth in the Countdown to 1. She is tied for 14th with 157 points, 83 shy of the 10th spot and 100 out of seventh
place with six races to go in the Countdown to 10.
“We hope to start winning rounds at Joliet so we can start cutting into the leads of the riders ahead of us,” she said. “We want to get into the top 10 and make the Countdown to 1. That’s our goal.”
# # #
Race schedule: Qualifying: Friday, 3 and 6 p.m.; Saturday, noon and 3 p.m. Sunday eliminations: noon.
Television: ESPN2, all times ET
Saturday, qualifying highlights, 11 p.m.-1 a.m.; Sunday, eliminations, 4-7 p.m.
