Last season was one of transition for NHRA world champion Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Matt Smith.

Smith was in the first year of his sponsorship agreement with Victory Motorcycles. He and his wife, Angie rode Victory sponsored motorcycles powered by S&S motors. Matt, NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion in 2007 and 2013, finished fourth in the points standings and Angie was 13th.

However, after just completing two days of testing at Bradenton (Fla.) Motorsports Park Monday and Tuesday, Matt is very upbeat about the upcoming season.

“We are back with Victory again and we have Lucas Oil as an associate sponsor, and we’ve been doing a lot stuff at home (in King, N.C.), dynoing and just getting everything ready,” Smith said. “We spent the last couple of days at Bradenton testing and we really, really ran good. I think we are going to be pretty bad a** this year.”

In addition to he and Angie, Michael Ray, who is running S&S powered motor-tuned by Matt Smith, also was at the Bradenton test session. Matt said between the three bikes at Bradenton, they made a combined 25 laps.

“Tuesday and (Monday) I went (6)83 and 84 at 195 (mph),” Matt said. “We had a big head wind and a lot of water in the air, and it really wasn’t fast at all, and we made some pretty bad a** runs. Last year at the same time, with the same conditions, we went 91 and 92.”

Matt said Angie went an 89 in the recent test and so did Ray.

“Michael went 195 (mph), which is a big speed for down here, but we just couldn’t get his bike to 60 foot and 330 like mine,” Matt said. “We are going to go back and look at stuff from that.”

According to Matt, Ray is going to run a full season in 2016 with sponsorship backing from Scott Smalley, the owner of UPI Performance.

Matt Smith said Scotty Pollacheck also is going to run an S&S motor tuned by him, and he is going to be a teammate of Ray’s.   

“One of the four bikes in our camp (two for the Smiths, Ray and Pollacheck) whether it is the Victorys or the Buells will definitely be a championship contender I think,” Matt said.

The NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle season begins March 17-20 at the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.

“We are going to go back home now and we have six motors that are done that are really, really good and we have six more to work on at home,” Matt said. “That’s our next plan and we will test the week of Gainesville back out here at Bradenton (March 14-15).”

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