The Smith - Arana incident

[TR]

If it had been Matt Hines' crew chief, NHRA would have roped off an area, given both combatants boxing gloves and sold tickets to see it.

Old Man Arana is no stranger to dropping F bombs on people, and his gripe over that seat is beyond ridiculous. But when the dust settles, it's the unprovoked punch on the part of Martinez that NHRA isn't going to tolerate. Ask Ron Capps or Ed McCulloch if it's OK to punch someone durning a national event, on track grounds.

Most fans could give a rats behind about the motorcycles, witness the fan drain in the stands when they are up to qualify. This whole deal is ridiculous and Arana Sr. showed just how much of a low life supposed professional he is. He shouldn't talk that way to anyone like that over a stupid seat, much less a woman. Both teams with their actions both Friday and in the past just shows why most people don't watch the bikes period. Just my 2 cents

Rick

 

[Butch]

WOW; Dam good thing Hector wasn't in the boat building business years back. LOL What a loser.

 

[JB3]

From what I've read, I'm embarrassed for Arana on this one! You consider a stepped seat your personal intellectual property? Give me a break. If Smith pulled a mold off of Angie's seat ... maybe you have a gripe, but it sure doesn't look like that happened based on the pic. Par's got this one, real basic work for anyone who deals with mat and rosen.

Jim, when you invite the public (and charge them for coming), you property is no longer "private" for the duration of that event ... same reason a cop can ticket you for doing donuts in the WalMart parking lot.

Hope Arana comes clean on this and we all move on quickly.

Congrats to Steve Johnson for a hell of a run.

That's what I meant ... you are in someone else's playground. You no longer have the right to conduct yourself in any manner you wish. Also must be willing to face any consequences of poor judgment. We're on the same page.

 

[handsome]

Most fans could give a rats behind about the motorcycles, witness the fan drain in the stands when they are up to qualify. This whole deal is ridiculous and Arana Sr. showed just how much of a low life supposed professional he is. He shouldn't talk that way to anyone like that over a stupid seat, much less a woman. Both teams with their actions both Friday and in the past just shows why most people don't watch the bikes period. Just my 2 cents

Rick

exactly! there are pics of the seat on comp plus and if Matt Smith bought the first ones from Arana then didn't like them and changes them, WHY SHOULD ARANA GET AN ATTITUDE? And to go off on a woman!!! man I have no respect for a man who does that crap!

 

[Randy]

Matt Smith deserves a whack for giving Arana 5 cents for that seat booster in the first place. 50 cents worth of dense foam from Home Depot and a roll of duct tape and we could have one on anyone's bike in about 10 minutes. I think Arana owes Smith money for taking a crappy looking seat booster and making it look like something you'd actually want to put on your $100,000 bike by redesigning it and making it out of carbon fiber.

I wonder if Arana paid a "design" fee to the makers of those booster seats you see the kids sit on at restaurants? Same idea? And did the designers of those restaurant booster seats pay the makers of phone books because the kids sat on those before booster seats were available.

 

[TR]

I wonder if Charlotte Lucas approves of Arana Sr.s language to a woman at rhe track, he better watch his mouth because LUCAS is the major sponsor and that may not go over very well. Don't get me wrong the Smiths are always causing drama but cussing out a women (not an Angie fan by any stretch of the imagination) is just not good professional sportsmanship. Getting upset about a staging duel is one thing but a seat?

Rick

 

[mw6789]

Smith's crew did back him up by restraining him and not allowing him to do something that would get him thrown out of the event.

I was right there when Herbert and Millican had words. No punches thrown, just a lot of words, threats and finger pointing and nobody's crew got fired over it. Any ways, why would Doug need anybody to back him up against Clay? Just a little difference in size.

Yeah, Doug has probably a foot and a half and a hundred pounds on Clay and could have probably tossed him halfway to the finish line.

 

[mw6789]

I hate todays "PC" crap as much as anybody and certainly don't approve of many of NHRA's decisions, but this is a PROFESSIONAL sporting event and NHRA has every right to expect those involved to act in a professional manner or be punished for failure to do so. This is not some Saturday night bull ring dirt track after all. As a parent and grandparent, I would not expect to take a kid to a race and have him witness such behavior. And as for this clown Arana dropping F bombs on another competitors wife, I would think that a class act like the Lucas family might want to reconsider the checks they are sending him. If this incident did in fact unfold like the written accounts show (and I freely admit all my info comes strictly from those accounts), Matt Smith had every right to confront Arana and also put a boot up his a**---but not at the race track.

 

[rckymtn3]

I find most of the comments entertaining.

I personally have no difference in opinion if he had pointed his tirade at a man or a woman. I find both equally embarrassing. I feel for Angie because I bet money she was the only person on that team that looked at him with some sort of compassion or uneasiness, so it triggered him to take his anger out on her. He has obviously been stewing on this, and it boiled-over. His mistake and flaw in personality.

Someone mentioned the most important part, the sponsor....regardless (again, non-gender specific) of the company, I am sure NO sponsor wants this type of behavior associated with their product/service (save folks like West Coast Choppers or Doom Metal Lovers of America)

 

[sdwarf36]

"" And as for this clown Arana dropping F bombs on another competitors wife,""

Wait a minute-When shes on the bike, she an competitor-an equal in the (unforced) diverse world of NHRA-where people of all genders + races are all treated the same--but if she get sworn at by another competitor she all of a sudden becomes someones wife that needs her honor protected?

 

[twostep]

Sherman, a man coming to the defense of a woman being harassed, cussed at, whatever, by another man is as old as time. It's only natural. Yes, Angie at the time is technically just another competitor - and in a fist fight, she's probably tough enough to whip Hector Arana - but it doesn't matter. Arana was 100% in the wrong (assuming that's how it all went down) and Smith had every right to approach him.

If you cuss out my wife - or my son - crewchief - best friend - whoever....over something as ridiculous as what this altercation started over, I'm on your ass like a june bug on a horse turd. It's just that simple.

 

[mw6789]

To correct my previous post, he is not less a clown (or a no class jerk for that matter) were it male, female, competitor, or non competitor. But I assure you he gives my wife a cussing, he will get an a** kicking. As stated earlier, if it did in fact happen as it appears to have happened.

 

[Randy]

The real loser in this whole deal is Arana and his reputation. It appears he flat out lied to the TV audience by saying "No punches were thrown" yet George Bryce...one of the most honest people you'd ever want to meet who has no skin in the game...confirms that he saw the "big guy" (Arana's crew chief) throw a punch that landed in Smith's direction.

My wife, who could care less about drag racing, let alone pro stock bike or Lucas Oil, thinks Arana just let the world know what kind of person he really is when he flat out lied to her on national TV.

 

[Larry jr.]

My only question is.................Who cares?................. I could name a dozen fights, and sucker punch incidents over the years, Some of which I was personaly involed in or had witnessed myself.

Now as far as the seat copying issue, there is NO such thing, since there are no copy rights on the seat, and no patent on the design, anyone can make, use or copy as many as they want, and can sell them to other racers if they want to.

Now on the issue of yelling and M.F'ing the guys wife, that is another story, let me put it like this..................you do that around Me.........you are getting a butt kicking you will not soon forget.

 

[tx_trojan]

Just saw the Arana and Smith interviews on ESPN.... Even though I still don't know what specifically happened, Arana does not come off as a very sympathetic or credible individual, based on his version alone..... And for the record, I'm not a Matt or Angie fan by any means.

 

[rckymtn3]

George Bryce...one of the most honest people you'd ever want to meet who has no skin in the game...

speaking of George Bryce

whatever transpired, at the end of the day on Sunday, it was flat-out cool to see Bryce in the winner's circle and his happiness made my weekend

 

[Pete]

The real loser in this whole deal is Arana and his reputation. It appears he flat out lied to the TV audience by saying "No punches were thrown" yet George Bryce...one of the most honest people you'd ever want to meet who has no skin in the game...confirms that he saw the "big guy" (Arana's crew chief) throw a punch that landed in Smith's direction.

My wife, who could care less about drag racing, let alone pro stock bike or Lucas Oil, thinks Arana just let the world know what kind of person he really is when he flat out lied to her on national TV.

I really liked the "I wasn't even there" comment Arana made near the end of the interview.

 

[jeff]

That first seat is a freakin joke. I'm surprised he even paid for that p.o.s let alone pay him more to modify it? Arana is an idiot. I'm not fans of either of them. Lucas should pull their money and put it towards Steve Johnson

 

[force fan]

That first seat is a freakin joke. I'm surprised he even paid for that p.o.s let alone pay him more to modify it? Arana is an idiot. I'm not fans of either of them. Lucas should pull their money and put it towards Steve Johnson

That is the best suggestion I have heard in a long time!!! Johnson needs a good sponsor and would be a better representative than the Aranas, in my opinion

 

[none]

Arana doesn't come out looking good in this deal for sure but I am reminded of something my dad used to tell me. When there is trouble, talk isn't really needed. If you insist on talking smack like Matt did, you should never be surprised by someone taking a swing..........

Note: For all those having a PC kitten, I have no problem with the punishment handed out for the punch thrown. Just find it humorous someone could think it was a "sucker punch" in that situation.