BY RYAN MURRAY | PHOTOGRAPH BY RICK BELDEN

FTER EXPERIENCING the best year of her career , Angie Smith felt a surge of momentum unlike anything she ’ s every enjoyed on a motorcycle . It ’ s also put her on a path that continues to get brighter and brighter .

For the second time in three seasons , Smith won the final race of the year in Pro Stock Motorcycle , but it was her overall performance in the Countdown to the Championship that served notice to the rest of the class .

She advanced to two finals rounds and a semifinal in five playoff races , ending her 2022 in a career-best third , just a handful of points behind Joey Gladstone .

It put the husband-and-wife combo of Matt – who won his sixth championship – and Angie first and third , and gave her an impressive jolt of confidence .

“ I feel like this past year was the first time I had a legit shot at winning a championship ,” Smith says . “ Was I a wreck in the Countdown ? Yes , but

I was able to channel that energy in a way that benefitted me . It was a lot of anxiety and I was a hard critic , but that ’ s what you have to do in this sport to succeed .”

Smith has done that , and the improvements have been immense . With her husband riding solely on a Suzuki in 2023 , Smith will have access to all the data , parts , and pieces for her Buell , which could make them even more dangerous .

She sees nothing but positives , and after how her year ended , some big expectations in the process .

“ It ’ s a good thing being on different brands of motorcycles ,” Smith believes . “ I have all the resources in my corner and the championship is something I want more than anything . I ’ m going for it and I ’ m going to do my best to win it .

“ I ’ m throwing everything at it . The difference in the mentality of the racer I was and what I am now is incredible . I ’ ve gotten a taste of victory and being at the top and now I want it even more .”

Smith has turned herself into a legit contender and is just as skilled working on the motorcycle . That ’ s a testament to her dedication , willingness to learn , and a never-satisfied work ethic . The transformation has been nothing short of awe-inspiring as well , and last year was a perfect example .

Smith qualified No . 1 in Richmond and also advanced to the final round at the Pro Stock Motorcycle opener in Gainesville , falling to Karen Stoffer on the quickest side-by-side pass in class history . Stoffer went 6.700-seconds to Smith ’ s 6.723 to squeeze out a victory in the all-female final round , but Smith came into her own in the Countdown .

She performed well under pressure , making the most of nearly every opportunity when it mattered the most .

“ You have to fine-tune everything before the Countdown ,” Smith says . “ You have to get all the bugs out and , honestly , you and your motorcycle have to become one because you have to be flawless in the Countdown .

“ That ’ s really what I focused on last year . We would try things and test and do all this in the regular season and the first 10 races of the year , but the last five races we tried to be perfect every single race . That ’ s the mentality I had and it was a career-best season for me .”

Smith also knows plenty about the challenges she faced earlier in her career , lessons that have proven incredibly valuable with Jianna Evaristo joining the Matt Smith Racing team .

Evaristo won a race early in her career , but she ’ s also had to work through her fair share of struggles . Smith has been one to providing a helping hand , offering tips , listening , and being a sounding board for whatever Evaristo is experiencing on the track .

It ’ s proven beneficial for both , as Evaristo has made huge strides on the bike and Smith has seen her career come full circle in an extremely fulfilling fashion .

“ It ’ s really been great ,” Smith says . “ I didn ’ t really have a female mentor , and these bikes are harder for a female to run . I struggled with all the things [ Evaristo ] struggled with and I ’ ve tried to help her . Now I can help her with things and tell her what I did , and do my best to try and mentor her . I ’ ve really enjoyed being able to do that . There were a lot of days where I struggled and I didn ’ t know if I was cut out for this . So when I ’ m able to help and Jianna makes a good lap , it ’ s been a very rewarding thing for me .” DI

110 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 181