Ryan Smith Scores Two Wins and a Top Ten in Fort Wayne "Rumble"

Ryan Smith Scores Two Wins and a Top Ten in Fort Wayne “Rumble”
KUNKLETOWN, Penn. – January 3, 2008 – Ryan Smith added a pair of  
notches to his belt in the Rumble at Fort Wayne last week, scoring a  
pair of slingshot feature wins and a top ten in the Midgets feature.

Taking the No. 55 S&S Speedways slingshot to fourth starting position  
in the first night’s feature, the 2007 ARDC Rookie of the Year had his  
sister Shannon sitting beside him in third on the grid. The brother  
and sister pair went on to finish one-two, using his preference for  
the outside line to sweep into the lead. “That was special, finishing  
one-two with my sister,” he reported on the race.

Saturday’s slingshot race was a near mirror image of Friday’s, with  
Ryan taking the win, again using the outside line to his advantage  
over the field.

The Friday night 600cc micro sprint Consi race ended early when the  
No. 2rs Tresch Motorsports car, racing in Smith’s debut on the track  
in the class, suffered a blown engine. The sudden end to the evening  
was a disappointment after qualifying ninth out of the 55 cars  
present. He moved up through the field in the micro sprint heat to  
finish third, earning the third spot in the Consi starting grid. The  
team swapped engines before leaving the track that night, preparing  
the car for Saturday’s racing action.

With only five laps in practice, he qualified eighth in the only PMP  
chassis present. An attempt to get the chassis adjusted better for the  
indoor track conditions went awry, leaving “The Kunkletown Kid” with a  
badly oversteering car. In spite of this handicap, he finished fourth  
in the heat. His qualifying time put the No. 2rs car on the pole for  
the third Consi, a position he held to the finish, spanking the field  
and ensuring a slot in the feature. Battling from a 13th starting  
position, he battled some of the best racers in the country to a tenth  
place finish in the Tresch Motorsports’ debut race.

Next up for the Pennsylvania teen racer is the famed Chili Bowl Midget  
Nationals at Tulsa, Oklahoma. “We’re leaving for Tulsa for the Chili  
Bowl Sunday,” he reported. “Our goal is to qualify for the A-Main.”  
This is a tall order, with 275 cars entered. “Hopefully, we’ll finish  
in the top four (in his heat race) and get locked in. If not, we’ll  
work through the alphabet soup,” he grinned. “We’re in the same heat  
with Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne, but they’re just another car on the  
track,” he commented. With his talent and the efforts of his Burke  
Trucking team, Smith is looking forward to racing in Tulsa.

Following the Chili Bowl, he heads back to the East Coast for the  
Atlantic City indoor slingshot races. He has swept the class in both  
of the last two years and is looking forward to attempting the hat  
trick with his third consecutive win.

After the early-season races, “it’s just waiting for the season to  
start,” he sated. “We’re hoping that USAC will bring the old Silver  
Crown cars back,” as the team has a car waiting in the wings for that  
possibility.

Smith is being helped in his career by training from Future Stars in  
Racing Academy. The Academy helps prepare young drivers for success  
outside the car in public speaking; sponsor presentations; working  
with the media and behavior on and off the track. Future Stars in  
Racing is the exclusive driver development partner with the ASA Late  
Model Series. Marketing partners include Safety-Kleen, Awesome  
Racewear and Sunbelt Web Solutions. The Academy features a staff with  
decades of experience in all aspects of motorsports. To learn more  
about Ryan Smith and the Academy, go to www.futurestarsinracing.com.



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John Davison, VP Media Relations, Future Stars in Racing
jdavison1@carolina.rr.com
PO Box 1435
Harrisburg, NC 28075
704.784.4630
919.271.8796 cell