The way Matt Smith sees it, a Pro Stock Motorcycle is a Pro Stock Motorcycle, and from a rider’s perspective, it shouldn’t matter if it has two cylinders or four. That’s why Smith didn’t believe there would be much of an adjustment period when he made the surprising move from his own Buell team to the Don Schumacher Racing Suzuki camp in the off-season. With that in mind, it should not come as a big surprise that Smith reached the final round in his first start this season and is leading the Full Throttle standings after three events.

“In 2005, I parked my Suzuki and started riding a Buell for the first time at Indy and was the No. 1 qualifier in my first race, so no, I don’t think it is a big deal to go from one bike to the other,” said Smith. “Lately, I’ve been going back and forth a lot because I’m riding Don’s [Suzuki] at NHRA races, and I’ve raced a Buell in Qatar a couple of times, and last weekend, I raced George Bryce’s Buell at the ADRL race in Valdosta [Ga.]. It can be a little tough to go back and forth, but I think I adapt pretty well.”

Smith has not only made a smooth transition from his Buell V-Twin to his Nitro Fish Suzuki, but he has also been quick to adapt to his new crew chief, Steve Tartaglia, and crewmembers, Tom Patsis and Jason Jones. Running his own team for the last few years, Smith served as his own crew chief, but he has had no trouble relinquishing the tuning duties to Tartaglia. Of course, it would be hard for Smith or anyone else to find fault with Tartaglia and his crew especially after they produced a record-setting 6.86 run during the recent O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil.

“Steve has a good program; I knew that before I got here,” said Smith. “After every run, we talk about what happened, and so far, we haven’t had any disagreements. He values my input, and I trust his judgment. It’s a good match for me, and I think we showed that in the first two races.

“I knew we could run in the 6.8s, but I just didn’t know when,” he said. “You have to have the right weather, and we had that in Houston. I think that any of the top four or five bikes could have run as fast as we did. Actually, I wish that we had made a good run in the semifinals against [Craig] Treble because I think we would have run about 6.85. We had a crank wire break, and that cost me the race and a chance to reset the record even quicker.”

This year, not much has gone wrong for the Schumacher team. Smith leads the Pro Stock Motorcycle standings, and his teammates Tony Schumacher and Ron Capps are holding down the top spots in Top Fuel and Funny Car, respectively. Another teammate, rookie Matt Hagan, is the toast of the town after driving to the final round in Funny Car in Las Vegas, and “Fast Jack” Beckman turned on the win light in the final round in Atlanta. As good as things have been, Smith is well-aware of the fickle nature of the racing business.

“I know that Don [Schumacher] has a reputation and he sometimes gets unhappy when his teams don’t do well, but so far, he’s been great to me,” said Smith. “I almost messed up in Houston [with a late light in the opening round], but it all worked out. There may come a time when he gives me that look that lets me know he’s not happy, but I hope not. I think that his mentality is that he just wants to win, and I feel the same way. When I lose races that I think I should have won, I can beat myself up pretty good, so I don’t think anyone is harder on me than I am on myself.”

Not having the pressure of running his own team has allowed Smith to do other things, including spend more time with his fiancée, fellow rider Angie McBride, and his 12-year-old son, Tristan. Smith has also made a couple trips to Qatar, where he has helped fuel a growing enthusiasm for drag racing by working with several local motorcycle racers. Smith’s father, Rickie, is also heavily involved in the Pro Mod competition in the Middle East.

“It is a whole different world over there, but it is also an educational experience,” Smith said. “Qatar is a fast-growing country, and they are very into drag racing. Their Pro Mod cars are pretty up-to-date because most of them were shipped there directly from the States, but they are just learning about motorcycle drag racing. I’ve already been twice, and I plan on going again later this year. They don’t race in the summer because it is too hot, so I’ll probably go back in the fall. I really enjoy it.”

Smith is also trying to help McBride secure the funding she needs to run the rest of the races in 2009. Riding the same Nitro Fish Buell that Smith rode last season, McBride qualified solidly in Gainesville, Houston, and Atlanta, but her plans remain up in the air unless she can find a sponsor.

“[Nitro Fish owner] Kenny [Koretsky] has helped us out a lot, and he has allowed her to run a few races, but we need a bit more support,” said Smith. “She had a really good bike, and she proved that in Gainesville. Obviously, I’d like to find her a sponsorship for the full season, but if I can put together a few small deals, $2,000 to $5,000, we can run a few more races. I really hope that I can find a way to get her to Madison because I have a great combination for that track, and I think she’ll be really fast there.”

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