Smith lands in semis in Texas

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2009 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 2 of Countdown to 1 Playoffs (five in total for PSM class)
Round 14 of 17 for season - Pro Stock Motorcycle
NHRA FALL NATIONALS
Texas Motorplex
Ennis, Texas
Sept. 25-27, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438;
jstropus@earthlink.net

SMITH LANDS IN THE SEMIS IN TEXAS

ENNIS, Texas (Sept. 27, 2009) - Matt Smith is a happy man, despite losing in
the semifinal round today at the NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex to
Harley-Davidson rider Eddie Krawiec.

With the Nitro Fish Ultimate Gear Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle performing
well this weekend, Smith and crew chief Steve Tartaglia were pleased with
the results.

Before he reached the semifinal round, No. 4 qualifier Smith defeated Junior
Pippin with a 7.071-second pass at 187.63 mph, then dismissed Douglas Horne
in the quarterfinal with a 6.997/189.34 in ambient temperatures of over 90
degrees and a track temperature in the 110-plus range.

He knew he had a tough draw in Krawiec, as the Harleys have been dominating
the Pro Stock Motorcycle class all year. They took off at the starting
lights handle to handle, but it was Krawiec first to the finish line with a
7.004/188.86 to Smith's losing 7.069/186.74.

"Our team had a great weekend," said Smith, who moved up to fourth place in
the Countdown to 1 playoffs. "We can't complain one bit. This Nitro Fish
Suzuki ran good all weekend. It just looked like it went bad that time. We
saw it coming last run. We didn't want to make a change because we ran
pretty good. 

"We just wanted to go up there against Eddie and do our job. He left on me
by six thou (of a second) and outran us. But, all in all, the team's
confident, we're all happy, and we're back in fourth in points.

"We just have to get the first and second guys (Hector Arana and Eddie
Krawiec) to quit winning rounds, so we have a chance of catching them."

Next up is the 22nd annual NHRA Mid-South Nationals in Memphis, Tenn., Oct.
2-4, 2009.

UNOFFICIAL PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE POINT STANDINGS, after two of five Countdown
to 1 playoffs events:
1. Hector Arana, 2318 (winner today)
2. Eddie Krawiec, 2271 (runner-up today)
3. Andrew Hines, 2207
4. Matt Smith, 2170
5. Douglas Horne, 2156
6. Michael Phillips, 2139
7. Karen Stoffer, 2127
8. Shawn Gann, 2125
9. Craig Treble, 2104
10. Matt Guidera, 2020

***