SEAMLESS SUZUKI TRANSITION FOR SMITH
Sat, 2009-03-14 08:00
Some riders are natural performers.
Former NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Matt Smith needed only a few laps on Don Schumacher Racing’s Suzuki to re-acclimate himself with the style of bike he drove when he first learned how to race.
Nine runs, seven in testing, and he is the provisional low qualifier at the NHRA ACDelco Gatornationals. This event in Gainesville, Fla., is traditionally the season-opener for the 17-race Pro Stock Motorcycles.
On the first run in qualifying for the new season he went immediately to the top. The second backed up his claim for the provisional pole effort.
“I had to change my riding style,” Smith admitted. “I haven’t rode the Buell any this season. I’m trying to stay away from it and focus in on the Suzuki.”
The separation isn’t absolute considering Smith’s fiancée Angie McBride rides his former Buell and will have Nitro Fish backing for at least four events in the early part of 2009. He also builds the engines for her. Some riders are natural performers.
Former NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Matt Smith needed only a few laps on Don Schumacher Racing’s Suzuki to re-acclimate himself with the style of bike he drove when he first learned how to race.
Nine runs, seven in testing, and he is the provisional low qualifier at the NHRA ACDelco Gatornationals. This event in Gainesville, Fla., is traditionally the season-opener for the 17-race Pro Stock Motorcycles.
On the first run in qualifying for the new season he went immediately to the top. The second backed up his claim for the provisional pole effort.
“I had to change my riding style,” Smith admitted. “I haven’t rode the Buell any this season. I’m trying to stay away from it and focus in on the Suzuki.”
The separation isn’t absolute considering Smith’s fiancée Angie McBride rides his former Buell and will have Nitro Fish backing for at least four events in the early part of 2009. He also builds the engines for her.
McBride is qualified fourth after two sessions.
“I am focused on my Suzuki,” Smith added. “I want to try and win some races and get some poles.”
Considering the intricate differences between the two combinations, Smith literally cannot ride a Buell at all.
“One vibrates like a tractor and the other is smooth,” Smith explained, comparing the Buell to the Suzuki. “There is hardly any rpm on the Buell [9,400] and with the Suzuki, we are at 13,500. It’s nice and smooth. The clutch is different. The throttle is different. It’s a big adjustment.”
Smith was willing to make those adjustments in order to keep racing.
He had backing from Nitro Fish through the company’s owner Kenny Koretsky but the loss of several associate sponsorships made fielding his own team a challenge Smith wasn’t willing to accept.
Smith would have likely fallen from championship contender to also-ran minus the additional funding.
It was just a year earlier that Smith had lost major backing from Torco Race Fuels as he look to defend his 2007 championship. An eleventh-hour deal from Koretsky’s Nitro Fish kept him in the game. This year, there was no eleventh hour deals to be made.
Smith signed a deal to drive for DSR and Koretsky followed with the necessary sponsorship to seal the deal.
“Kenny is a really great guy and I called him after the PRI show and told him that Don had offered me a riding job,” Smith said. “I was unable to put together enough small sponsorship programs to make our deal what it needed to be.”
Smith confirmed that he offered to increase Smith’s sponsorship to keep him as a full-time team owner but that participation had to be limited because of Koretsky’s desire to sponsor other classes as well.
“I totally understood his position so I went with Don Schumacher,” Smith said. “Kenny is tickled to death and together we have a great program.”
Former NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Matt Smith needed only a few laps on Don Schumacher Racing’s Suzuki to re-acclimate himself with the style of bike he drove when he first learned how to race.
Nine runs, seven in testing, and he is the provisional low qualifier at the NHRA ACDelco Gatornationals. This event in Gainesville, Fla., is traditionally the season-opener for the 17-race Pro Stock Motorcycles.
On the first run in qualifying for the new season he went immediately to the top. The second backed up his claim for the provisional pole effort.
“I had to change my riding style,” Smith admitted. “I haven’t rode the Buell any this season. I’m trying to stay away from it and focus in on the Suzuki.”
The separation isn’t absolute considering Smith’s fiancée Angie McBride rides his former Buell and will have Nitro Fish backing for at least four events in the early part of 2009. He also builds the engines for her. Some riders are natural performers.
Former NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Matt Smith needed only a few laps on Don Schumacher Racing’s Suzuki to re-acclimate himself with the style of bike he drove when he first learned how to race.
Nine runs, seven in testing, and he is the provisional low qualifier at the NHRA ACDelco Gatornationals. This event in Gainesville, Fla., is traditionally the season-opener for the 17-race Pro Stock Motorcycles.
On the first run in qualifying for the new season he went immediately to the top. The second backed up his claim for the provisional pole effort.
“I had to change my riding style,” Smith admitted. “I haven’t rode the Buell any this season. I’m trying to stay away from it and focus in on the Suzuki.”
The separation isn’t absolute considering Smith’s fiancée Angie McBride rides his former Buell and will have Nitro Fish backing for at least four events in the early part of 2009. He also builds the engines for her.
McBride is qualified fourth after two sessions.
“I am focused on my Suzuki,” Smith added. “I want to try and win some races and get some poles.”
Considering the intricate differences between the two combinations, Smith literally cannot ride a Buell at all.
“One vibrates like a tractor and the other is smooth,” Smith explained, comparing the Buell to the Suzuki. “There is hardly any rpm on the Buell [9,400] and with the Suzuki, we are at 13,500. It’s nice and smooth. The clutch is different. The throttle is different. It’s a big adjustment.”
Smith was willing to make those adjustments in order to keep racing.
He had backing from Nitro Fish through the company’s owner Kenny Koretsky but the loss of several associate sponsorships made fielding his own team a challenge Smith wasn’t willing to accept.
Smith would have likely fallen from championship contender to also-ran minus the additional funding.
It was just a year earlier that Smith had lost major backing from Torco Race Fuels as he look to defend his 2007 championship. An eleventh-hour deal from Koretsky’s Nitro Fish kept him in the game. This year, there was no eleventh hour deals to be made.
Smith signed a deal to drive for DSR and Koretsky followed with the necessary sponsorship to seal the deal.
“Kenny is a really great guy and I called him after the PRI show and told him that Don had offered me a riding job,” Smith said. “I was unable to put together enough small sponsorship programs to make our deal what it needed to be.”
Smith confirmed that he offered to increase Smith’s sponsorship to keep him as a full-time team owner but that participation had to be limited because of Koretsky’s desire to sponsor other classes as well.
“I totally understood his position so I went with Don Schumacher,” Smith said. “Kenny is tickled to death and together we have a great program.”
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