MATT SMITH DROPS IN TO TEST AT ZMAX

Matt Smith isn’t used to showing up for a race where he doesn’t expect to qualify; much less contend for the win.

He's learned, there’s a first time for everything.

Smith and teammate Michael Ray made the long drive back from Sonoma, Ca., in order to attend the ADRL Dragstock event at zMax Dragway.

The NHRA Full Throttle series regulars are running with the ADRL’s Pro Extreme Motorcycle division, but in a different capacity.

“We never have an off weekend, short-handed, un-sponsored and testing every chance we can,” admitted Smith. “We paid to enter the race but the ADRL is limiting us to exhibition runs. This is not to interfere with their program.”

Smith and Ray are testing this weekend and in-between scheduled runs, the former series champion helped to tune his cousin Tyler Wilson. Wilson races a nitrous-injected Buell on the series.

Though Wilson failed to make the cut, Smith said they made progress in their test session.

“We put two new motors in and added two new tires, and have spent most of the time scuffing tires and developing clutch combinations,” said Wilson. “This way we don’t have to do this during the first pass in Brainerd.

“We know we can run as fast as the Buells, but not the Harleys,” said Smith. “We just want to get our program back to where Hector and his team are at.”

Smith has made an attempt to run the ADRL’s Pro Extreme division with a Buell but loss of sponsorship ended his opportunity.

“I was just getting it,” said Smith. “We were the only ones to do it with the EFI and S&S V-twin. We had it going and then Khalid [the Al-Anabi sponsorship] pulled out from under us. Our money was pulled out and I have to concentrate on the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle series. This is where I make a living. When he did that, I just shut down the program and my cousin bought the bike.”

Smith believes with the right budget, his Buell combination could be competitive on the ADRL series.

“We’ve been a 4.07 and there’s no doubt we can run it, if we can lose some weight,” said Smith. “If I am on the bike we can get it down to weight.”

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