Angie Smith 12th in Provisional Qualifying at Joliet

Pro Stock Motorcycle Angie Smith Route 66 Raceway JOLIET, Ill., Fri, Jul 08, 2011 Angie Smith 12th in Provisional Qualifying at Joliet.jpgAngie Smith.jpgWith the first day of the 14th Annual O'Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in the books, NHRA Full Throttle Series Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Angie Smith is safely in the show in 12th position with a 7.075 second ET at 185.89 mph. Although she knows she will race on Sunday, the North Carolina native, along with her tuner/team owner/husband Matt, will work on the Buell to improve her position on Saturday.

“Today was an OK day for us,” said Angie, who fell to eventual event winner LE Tonglet here last year in a close semi-final race. “In the first pass, we were running and I couldn’t shift from first (gear) to second (gear) and I had to kinda pedal it and get out of the gas and then get back in the gas, so I didn’t run really good. “Second round was an alright run, we just made a bad tune-up call, so I think we’re going to be alright. I’m in the 12th position so, all in all, it’s an OK day. We’re in, so at least I’ll sleep tonight! Tomorrow we’ll regroup and make a solid run and be in the show so we can race on Sunday.” Hector Arana III, son of former PSM champ Hector Arana Jr., took provisional P1 Friday with an ET of 6.950 seconds at 188.96 mph. Saturday’s two rounds of qualifying are set to run at 4 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. Eliminations start at 11 a.m. Sunday. For ticket information, call Route 66 Raceway at 888-629-RACE or visit them on the Web at http://www.Route66Raceway.com. About Angie Smith: Angie, a native of Winston-Salem, N.C., started racing motorcycles in 2000 at the age of 21. She made her first NHRA Full Throttle Series Pro Stock Motorcycle start in 2004 when she qualified for the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. She qualified for a career-high 14 races in 2008, reaching the semi-finals in back-to-back events in Dallas and Memphis. She acheived her personal best ET (6.896 secs) and speed (190.59 mph). In 2010, she made all but one race and raced her way to three semi-final appearances. She races for her husband, 2007 NHRA Full Throttle Series Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Matt Smith and her fellow North Carolinian also tunes her Buell. In her spare time, she enjoys water sports, working out, and travelling Fans of Angie Smith can find updates and photos of Matt Smith Racing at http://www.MattSmithRacing.com, www.Facebook.com/Matt.AngieSmith, and wwwTwitter.com/AngieSmith77. Videos of Angie and Matt Smith Racing can be found at YouTube.com/MattSmithNHRA. For information regarding sponsorship opportunities with Matt Smith Racing, please e-mail MattSmithRacing@yahoo.com. About HighSide Media Founded in 2007, HighSide Media has represented some of the top drivers, teams, facilities, sponsors, and sanctions in American motorsports. HighSide Media provides public and media relations for racers at every level with tailor-made programs for every budget. Pass YOUR Competition on the HighSide. For more information on HighSide Media, its programs, and its clients, visit http://www.HighSideMedia.com. You can also follow HSM at Twitter.com/HighSideMedia and on its official page on Facebook.