Angie Smith With Solid Day 1 at Indy Despite Heat

Matt Smith Racing NHRA 57th Annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Lucas Oil Raceway Clermont, Ind. Fri, Sep 02, 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Series Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Angie Smith fought both her Matt Smith Racing Buell and the heat at Lucas Oil Raceway Friday, but despite the adversity, the North Carolina native ran a solid 7.140 ET to put her 12th in the provisional qualifying order. There was a single qualifying round Friday with two more on both Saturday and Sunday with the eliminations for the 57th Annual Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals on Monday.

“First day of qualifying was OK,” she said back at the Matt Smith Racing pit area. “I had a really bad 60 foot and the bike pulled me through the beams when I put on the two-step, the bike kinda rolled. I had a 1.20 60 foot which usually we hit 60 foot at 1.07. I think we would’ve ran a low 7.00 or a high 6.99. All in all, I think we’re gonna be alright. I’m excited about tomorrow.” With temperatures reaching nearly 110 degrees on Friday, both fans and racers were feeling the effects. For someone wearing black leather in the sun, the heat can be devastating. “It was really bad on me, first round,” she said. “I came back (to the pits) and actually passed out because I got so hot. I was seeing dots and everything, but (my crew) got me really cooled off. I just have to stay really hydrated because it’s so hot here. We’re going to have a good day tomorrow.” Her husband, team owner, and tuner, Matt Smith, earned the provisional top qualifier Friday with an ET of 6.954 seconds at 190.97 mph. Matt is working yeoman’s hours this weekend, piloting his Haltech/Redline/Affliction Buell, tuning his, Angie’s, and Michael Ray’s bikes, and driving a Pro Mod for his father, Rickie. Spectator gates at the Big Go open Saturday morning at 7 a.m. EDT with the Pro Stock/Pro Stock Motorcycle sessions scheduled for 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. and the last two qualifying rounds of the weekend set to run Sunday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Eliminations will start Monday at 11 a.m. For more information on the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals or for tickets, visit NHRA.com. Fans of Angie Smith can find updates and photos of Matt Smith Racing at MattSmithRacing.com, Facebook.com/Matt.AngieSmith, and Twitter.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 HighSideMedia.com. You can also follow HSM at Twitter.com/HighSideMedia and on its official page on Facebook.