Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Michael Ray confirmed to CompetitionPlus.com December 31 he isn’t going to ride with Matt Smith Racing in 2013.

“Right now, I’m just keeping my options open and I’m not racing with Matt Smith full time next year,” Ray said. “I just do not have the funding to go racing fulltime with Matt Smith for 2013. That’s definitely a bummer, but I have not committed to (ride) 16 races with anybody right now. There are a few other options for me to go (race) fulltime, and I just have to look at what will work best for my racing and where I want to go and take our program.”

Ray finished eighth in the points chase last season with MSR, highlighted by him winning at Dallas Sept. 23. Ray’s win broke Eddie Krawiec and Andrew Hines, the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson riders, 13-race win streak dating back to Las Vegas in 2011.

Ray acknowledged riding for Pro Stock Motorcycle owner George Bryce is an option for him in 2013.

Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Michael Ray confirmed to CompetitionPlus.com December 31 he isn’t going to ride with Matt Smith Racing in 2013.

“Right now, I’m just keeping my options open and I’m not racing with Matt Smith full time next year,” Ray said. “I just do not have the funding to go racing fulltime with Matt Smith for 2013. That’s definitely a bummer, but I have not committed to (ride) 16 races with anybody right now. There are a few other options for me to go (race) fulltime, and I just have to look at what will work best for my racing and where I want to go and take our program.”

Ray finished eighth in the points chase last season with MSR, highlighted by him winning at Dallas Sept. 23. Ray’s win broke Eddie Krawiec and Andrew Hines, the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson riders, 13-race win streak dating back to Las Vegas in 2011.

Ray acknowledged riding for Pro Stock Motorcycle owner George Bryce is an option for him in 2013.

“We are talking with him (Michael Ray) along with others,” Bryce said in a phone interview with CompetitionPlus.com Monday. “I hope to have an official press release on our decision by Wednesday (Jan. 2) or Thursday (Jan. 3).”

Smith said Ray told him of his 2013 plans in their phone conversation Monday.

“I got a call today (Monday) saying that they were not going to race with us, that they were going to race for George Bryce,” Smith said. “At Pomona, at the last race of the year, the team manager for the Gottspeed Racing team confirmed that they were onboard with me for 2013 for all 16 races.”

Bryce confirmed Scotty Pollacheck with ride a full season with his team in 2013. Pollacheck finished seventh last season in the point standings.

John Hall also rode a Sovereign-Star Racing team Buell motorcycle for Bryce last season, finishing 11th in the points.

“We have not signed a 16-race deal with him (Hall),” Bryce said.

According to Bryce, he will run two motorcycles next season, and he also will run a third motorcycle as a developmental project on a Suzuki.

Smith said he is going to race a full 2013 season as a rider on one of his three MSR motorcycles.

“We are working on Angie (Matt’s wife) to find something, especially now that Michael is pulling out,” Matt said. “I want to get Angie back out there. We have to have somebody to fill up that bike spot to run all year. That is a good top 10 bike. My program is really good.”

Angie ran fulltime in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class in 2010 and 2011, finishing a career-best 11th in 2011. Angie competed in five events last season.

Smith said he will run his same S&S power plant in 2013, but his motorcycles will look different.

“We are going to have Viper bodies on them next year,” Smith said. “NHRA has approved them to have Viper bodies. Everything should be done by Gainesville (Fla.) and we should debut everything at Gainesville. We are hoping to test the new body work sometime in February.”

The Gatornationals March 14-17 in Gainesville is the season-opening race for the Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors.

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