Pro Stock Motorcycle great Matt Smith set the track record on Friday at Summit Motorsports Park, powering to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position at the 18th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Smith also says his math tells him his Vance & Hines rivals purposely slowed down as multiple racers are quitting the class amid the dominance of Gaige Herrera.
Qualifying continues to go well for six-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Smith, going a track-record 6.748 at 201.31 on his Denso Auto Parts/Matt Smith Racing Buell. It puts Smith in line for his third No. 1 qualifier in the past four races as the bike continues to impress in qualifying. He ended Gaige Herrera’s string of No. 1 qualifiers in Chicago and has controlled that area recently, but Smith is focused on getting the job done on Sunday. Friday’s run gives him a good start on the weekend, but Herrera has been unbeatable for the past 10 races, something Smith hopes to change this weekend.
“Qualifying doesn’t mean anything if you can’t back it up on Sunday, and that’s what I’ve learned so far this year,” Smith said. “We’ve had a good bike in qualifying a couple races and we haven’t closed the deal. But we’re right where we should be here, and all in all, I’m happy with our Denso/Outlaw Beer bike. We’ve got a great team right now – Angie (Smith) is second, Jianna (Evaristo) is fourth. We have three bikes in the top four right now, (and) we just have to keep digging.”
A. Smith is currently second with a 6.798 at 200.26, while Herrera is right behind after going 6.799 at 198.88.
Qualifying at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals continues at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday at Summit Motorsports Park.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.748, 201.31; 2. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.798, 200.26; 3. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.799, 198.90; 4. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.802, 201.13; 5. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.803, 199.52; 6. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.809, 198.82; 7. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.812, 200.08; 8. John Hall, Beull, 6.817, 198.99; 9. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.878, 196.10; 10. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.884, 196.04; 11. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.901, 196.02; 12. Ron Tornow, Victory, 6.962, 195.76; 13. Eiji Kawakami, Suzuki, 7.148, 185.66; 14. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 7.516, 177.11
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