Confidence is peaking at the Mohegan Sun/Rocklin Motorsports Pro Stock Motorcycle camp. Matt Guidera broke a 12-race dry spell in which he won only four rounds and suffered two DNQs with his win in Chicago, and his No. 2 qualifying effort in Englishtown further proved that he’ll have one of the bikes to beat at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk.
Guidera’s turnaround can be attributed to several factors, not the least of which was helpful advice from 2007 Full Throttle world champion Matt Smith. Smith pointed Guidera in the right direction Friday night in Chicago, and that proved to be the final piece of the puzzle for the 39-year-old rider to get back to his winning ways.
“We made a motor swap after qualifying ended that Friday, and we were able to hit the tune-up the next day with the help of Matt Smith,” said Guidera. “Matt and I have been friends for a long time. I always appreciate his opinion and his outlook on racing. We were able to make some strides real quickly there. It feels so good to get back to running the way we’re supposed to run. We broke some parts last season and didn’t realize how bad it hurt us.”
Guidera followed his win with a strong qualifying showing in Englishtown, where his No. 2 position was his first top-half effort of the season. A holeshot loss to Smith in the second round derailed the hopes of a confident rider wishing to turn his first win of the season into a streak of sorts.
“I had dreams of going three for three after Chicago,” revealed Guidera. “I thought for sure we were going to win Englishtown, and then I had dreams of going three in a row by winning Norwalk. We blew our Chicago numbers right out of the water in Englishtown, and I thought we might be able to handle the field. Then Matt Smith comes up and slaps me with a holeshot.”
The month off that the Pro Stock Motorcycle racers enjoyed between the Madison and Chicago events proved particularly fruitful for Guidera’s Northern California-based team. It gave Guidera and engine builder Steve Seruset the chance to sort things out on the dyno and build new parts to help get their performance up to snuff. Guidera is careful to spend his time wisely because budgetary factors are a particular concern this season.
“My team is only funded for 14 out of 17 races this year,” said Guidera. “We’re going to race until Indy and try to get into the top 10. We’ll take a few races off after that and return at the races on the West Coast. We’re trying to make as many Full Throttle points as we can right now because the top 10 is a big achievement in our eyes. It also looks like we’re in the hunt for the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle.
“Right now is when we’re trying to make a charge. We didn’t do it early in the year, and we need to get it going. We have our heads down trying to get as much performance out of our bike as we can so we can keep up with Andrew [Hines], Eddie [Krawiec], and a couple of the other tough riders in the class.”
Guidera, who drives his team’s rig across the country with the company of his fiancée, Lindsey, is very happy with the current incarnation of the team his family co-owns with Mohegan Sun’s Brian Bozsum. Matt calls the shots as the team’s crew chief, and he relies on the help of father Vic, longtime friend Paul Arbini, and, at limited events this season, his brother, Len. Calling the shots has been a learning experience for Guidera, but he is growing more comfortable with it by the day.
“I’m figuring a few things out but struggling with a few of the other ones,” said Guidera. “I’ve learned a lot being involved with the team and the crew chiefs we’ve had over the past couple years. I learned a lot from Larry Cook, Rick Maney, and my brother. I try to keep my tune-up nice and tight on my jacket so I don’t change too many things all at once and get lost.”
While many riders and mechanics in the motorcycle ranks tend to stay focused on all things two-wheeled, the outgoing Guidera can often be spotted watching anything from Pro Stock to the alcohol classes and talking to the many competitors he has befriended in those ranks.
“I’ve always been into keeping your mouth closed and your ears and eyes open,” said Guidera. “I don’t know everything, so I have to ask questions a lot of the time. There are a lot of great racers in the NHRA from different classes who are willing to tell you their opinion. Their cars may be different, but they are dealing with the same racetrack and the same conditions. I don’t have the experience sometimes to be sure that what I’m looking at is correct, so I have to ask questions.
“[Top Alcohol Funny Car driver] Steve Harker is a great guy to talk to, and he’s real nice to me. There are a bunch of people in the Pro classes, too. Chances are that the things I pick up from these guys aren’t a direct application, but there is probably something in it that could help me that pertains to my bike. A lot of the guys in my class won’t talk to me about those things, and I can totally understand that.”
Guidera knows that any advantage he can find is useful in trying to compete against the best of the best in the two-wheel division. He should know because his success rate is up there with the top riders in the class. Since his breakout win in Reading in 2007, his four wins are the secondmost in that time span, trailing only Smith (five). Hines, Chris Rivas, and Craig Treble also have four.
“Everything has to be perfect to win in this class,” said Guidera. “You have to have a fast bike, the right tune-up, the killer 60-foot times, the killer reaction times, and a back half to go along with the front half; otherwise, you’re just not going to win. I want to win a few more Wallys this year, and I only have so many chances to do it. I know they’re not giving those things away, so we’re going to have to figure out a way to steal one.”
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