INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 4, 2023) – After many had already assigned the U.S, Nationals Pro Stock Wally to Gaige Herrera, Matt Smith reminded everyone why that may had been a little premature.
Smith joined the short list of racers with three U.S. Nationals titles when he stopped rival Hector Arana Jr. in the final round. Smith, the 2022 champ, ran his Indy win streak to eight-consecutive rounds when he rode his Denso Suzuki to a 6.846 after Arana fouled by three-thousandths of a second. Smith previously won Indy in 2006 and 2022. With the win, Smith also moved into second place as the field is set for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
As big as Smith’s win over Arana was, his semifinal victory against Gaige Herrera might have been even more gratifying. Herrera has dominated the class this season, but a cracked spark plug slowed his Vance & Hines Suzuki, allowing Smith to get to the final for the third time this season.
Smith also rode to wins against John Hall and Chase Van Sant as he reached the final for the 74th time in his career, which now spans 306 events.
“I’m not surprised at all,” said Smith. “I’ve got good power. This is our second year with the Suzuki program and we’ve got great power. The problem is that I can’t figure out how to make the clutch work. I need the parts to test because we’re not getting our 60-foot times where we need them. I think a 1.09 was my best and that’s not good enough. I’ve always said you need to be good at the last six races to win a championship so now it’s time to turn it up.
“If I go on and win my seventh championship, I will take next season off. I’m not saying I’m gonna retire but I will take a year off and focus on [teammates] Jianna [Evaristo] and Angie [Smith]. The way I see it, this championship is Gaige’s to lose. No matter if he won this race or lost first round, he was going to come out of here as the biggest loser because he’s going to lose the most points [with the Countdown reset]. The whole class gained on him. Now, we just need to get him out early. I wasn’t sure if a seventh [championship] was possible this year but now I know I can do it.”
Arana Jr. wasn’t able to match Herrera’s elapsed times, but his GETTRX Buell was the fastest bike in Indy with multiple 200 mph runs. The former Indy champ scored wins against Chris Bostick, Kelly Clontz, and Angie Smith to reach his 32nd career final.
The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series starts its Countdown to the Championship, a six-race playoffs, with the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway at Reading Pennsylvania September 14-16.
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Content: NHRA National Dragster staff
Photo's: NHRA | Will McPhail Photography