| August 2, 2021
Denso Buell’s Matt Smith came up short in his bid to sweep the Western Swing, NHRA’s annual three-race-in-three-week tour through Denver, Sonoma, and this year, Pomona, California.
Matt Smith (fore) vs Angelle Sampey in the Pro Stock Motorcycle final at Pomona.
By Kevin McKenna | Photos Courtesy of NHRA
Smith is headed back to North Carolina with two wins and that’s good enough for the reigning champ and current points leader in the Camping World NHRA Drag Racing Series. Smith’s latest win came at Pomona Raceway where he defeated Vance & Hines Suzuki’s Angelle Sampey in the final round.
In the final round, Smith rode to a strong 6.828-second elapsed time to easily cover Sampey’s 6.911. It was Smith’s fourth win of the 2021 season and the 30th of his career.
Photo by Matt Politto
“It’s really hard to come out here and run three races in three weeks,” Smith said, “but we pulled it off and we’re headed home with two wins. It’s not a sweep but I’ll take it.”
Unlike last week’s event in Sonoma that featured record-setting conditions, the Pomona race was extremely hot with some of the highest track temperatures recorded at an NHRA event. That proved to be a challenge for both riders and crew chiefs, and in Smith’s case, he operates as his own crew chief, so the challenge is even more daunting.
“It was so hot today, and that was the biggest thing, just fighting the track,” said Smith.
Matt Smith finished off the NHRA’s western swing with a win at Pomona.
Smith was the low qualifier, which meant he got a single run in the first round since there were just 15 bikes in the field. He then scored wins over his wife, Angie Smith, and Denso teammate, Scotty Pollacheck. Matt defeated Angie by a comfortable 6.83 to 6.92 margin, then topped Pollacheck with a 6.91 after his Buell momentarily jumped out of fifth gear.
Sampey, appearing in her 270th career race, made it to the final round for the 75th time thanks to wins against Jimmy Underdahl, Joey Gladstone, and her Vance & Hines teammate, Eddie Krawiec. Sampey, who earlier this season became first Suzuki rider to top the 200-mph mark, had the quicker bike heading into the final round based on her 6.87 run in the semifinals, but Smith found a way to prevail. Ironically, Sampey defeated Smith the first time they raced in a final round in 2006, but Smith has won the next seven.
With the win, Smith locked up his spot in the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s seven-race playoff that determines the world champion. He is also acknowledged as the first Pro Stock Motorcycle winner of the Winternationals, since this event is the traditional season-opener that was pushed back to mid-summer by the Covid-19 pandemic. Historically, the motorcycle class does not run at the Winternationals.
VIDEO | Matt Smith vs Angelle Sampey in the PSM Final at Pomona
ROUND ONE — Angie Smith, 6.917, 196.70 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.020, 177.30; Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.937, 196.53 def. Jianna Salinas, Suzuki, 7.032, 192.11; Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 6.822, 198.35 def. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, Broke – No Show; Scotty Pollacheck, 6.882, 198.82 def. Cory Reed, Suzuki, 7.126, 178.54; Freddie Camarena, Suzuki, 7.031, 193.40 def. Andrew Hines, Buell, 19.190, 38.82; Eddie Krawiec, Buell, 6.884, 199.94 def. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.913, 195.62; Matt Smith, 6.901, 173.81 was unopposed; Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.843, 197.31 def. Ryan Oehler, 7.017, 194.77;
QUARTERFINALS — M. Smith, 6.838, 199.82 def. A. Smith, 6.929, 196.76; Krawiec, 6.945, 197.62 def. Camarena, 7.091, 190.24; Sampey, 6.843, 197.10 def. Gladstone, 7.044, 196.53; Pollacheck, 6.891, 197.97 def. Savoie, 6.961, 195.65;
SEMIFINALS — Sampey, 6.878, 195.42 def. Krawiec, 6.933, 197.91; M. Smith, 6.919, 197.31 def. Pollacheck, 6.965, 197.62;
FINAL — M. Smith, 6.828, 199.52 def. Sampey, 6.911, 173.96.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:
1. Matt Smith; 2. Angelle Sampey; 3. Eddie Krawiec; 4. Scotty Pollacheck; 5. Angie Smith; 6. Jerry Savoie; 7. Joey Gladstone; 8. Freddie Camarena; 9. Karen Stoffer; 10. Ryan Oehler; 11. Steve Johnson; 12. Jianna Salinas; 13. Cory Reed; 14. Andrew Hines; 15. Jim Underdahl.
For more information, visit NHRA.com
