Sure enough, Smith kicked off the 2016 NHRA J & A Service Pro Mod season with a win at the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. He followed up his season-opening win with a runner-up finish at Houston and another win at Atlanta. A pair of number-one qualifying efforts and a second runner-up finish at St. Louis also helped Smith secure his third NHRA Pro Mod championship in four seasons.

“ We only have 10 races and when you only have 10 races you can’ t get behind as it is hard to catch up,” said Smith, who was also the NHRA champion in 2013 and 2014.“ Luckily, we got off to a heck of a run this year. We went to three finals and won two of them and that got us a good cushion. We kept making rounds and just trying to be consistent on Sunday.

“ I was going to retire three years ago because I was ready. But you hate to quit when you are winning and doing this good. I know I’ m going to have to quit one day but you can always quit, but you can’ t always keep winning.”

The King, North Carolina native is prepared to keep winning in 2017 as he will debut a 2017 Camaro at the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, March 17-19. A fresh Pat Musi Racing Engines bullet will be between the frame rails, and a new look will be applied to the skin of the Jerry Bickel-built hot rod. Smith has shed the familiar red-and-white IDG scheme in favor of a vibrant, colorful wrap to reflect the rebranding of Hagemeyer-IDG into Vallen Distribution Inc.- NATE VAN WAGNEN DI

SCDRA SUPER COMP RYAN DIOSDADO // SCDRA NO ELECTRONICS CHRIS DAVIS // SCDRA STOCK / SUPER STOCK KEN ETTER

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