PHOTOS: NHRA / NATIONAL DRAGSTER, REAL PRO MOD ASSOCIATION |
RIDING A HIGH Decades of knowledge and a steady sponsor in IDG( now Vallen) have helped Rickie Smith become one of the most feared competitors in the world of nitrous-assisted Pro Modified racing. He’ s won championships in four different sanctioning bodies over the course of his career.
amount of hours and the amount of testing that was done paid off. Hard work and passion and good sponsorship, it takes it all to do it.
RS: Anybody who’ s grown up around me knows I refuse to lose. That’ s my motto. It’ s been tough sometimes, but I know when I’ m not competitive I don’ t have the money to run with these guys. That’ s the reason I didn’ t race off and on for years. The biggest thing is you need to have a little bit of money to compete with these guys. You can’ t win championships if you’ re not prepared, and that’ s been my thing – trying to be prepared. When you give money to somebody good, you can’ t fight money and good. You can fight money and bad.
I’ m not saying I’ ve dominated( Pro Mod), but I’ ve done awfully good three out of the last four years winning a championship, but I got in a little bit of a money situation where I could find a sponsor and be competitive.
Every time I’ ve had a little bit of a chance to do the program like I needed to do it, not the top of the line, not the middle of the line, basically the third or the fourth in the line, when I had the kind of decent money that I could go buy the parts, I’ m not saying dominated, but I’ ve been at the top of the pack every time I’ ve been able to do that. That’ s what has happened at the end
|
of my career. IDG has come along and given me this opportunity, and it’ s been awesome.
Last question. When you have a certain number of things seemingly stacked against you, and you’ ve got teams specifically coming after you and calling you out, how satisfying is it when you still come out on top? JL: At some point in my life I’ m going to look
“ Anybody who’ s grown up around me knows I refuse to lose. That’ s my motto,” Smith said.
|
back and say it’ s very satisfying. Right now, I’ m busy looking to get better all the time and keep working so that I don’ t have to worry about it. I don’ t really stop and think about it; it’ s just not something that I do. But, you know, come on in, the water’ s fine. This class is not for everybody, there’ s no question about it. It takes a lot of work and a lot of effort, and you’ re not going to ho-hum your way to the top, that’ s for sure. It takes a lot of work. You can’ t sit back and enjoy it for too long or you’ re going to get crushed.
TC: It’ s the best feeling in the world because it’ s always fun to plot out a plan with your team members – the guys you work with on all this stuff – and see it come to fruition and be fast and winning races. There’ s nothing better than that. That feeling, not only for me, but for my family and all the guys on the team, that’ s a big feather in everyone’ s cap. It’ s the best feeling because you’ re working so hard at this program and somebody comes up and kind of kicks you in the nuts, and you go back to work and come out swinging and you kick all the rest of them in the nuts. It’ s a great feeling and that’ s how it should be.
RS: Without a doubt, it’ s awesome. That’ s basically what I’ m running on now. My body and my back, and my legs are telling me to get out of this deal. I’ ll be 64 at the end of this year and it’ s just been an awesome ride. I’ m just tickled to death to be able to do this at my age. It’ s just awesome that some of these people step up and help me out. They don’ t have to do that, but I think a lot of them have seen that I have worked hard throughout my career to get here, and I’ m riding a high right now. When it goes away, I’ ll walk away. But it’ s been awesome. DI
|
||
January 2017 |
DragIllustrated. com | Drag Illustrated | 115 |