Former NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Matt Smith has signed a major sponsorship deal with Al-Anabi Racing for the 2010 season.

“We’re back on our program that won the title in 2007 and nearly did in 2008,” said Smith, son of drag racing legend Rickie Smith. “I’m really excited. I want to thank Sheik Khalid Al Thani and Al Anabi Racing for this opportunity.”

Smith confirmed that he will return to his Buell this season and resume his engine research and development program, which he suspended with the end of the Torco sponsorships.

“We’ve already gone to work, working on cylinder heads and the valvetrain,” said Smith. “We’ve really got a lot of neat things going on right now. We won’t have everything finished before Gainesville, but we will still be very competitive.”

Smith said that his resumed program will include noted mountain-motor Pro Stock engine builder Sonny Leonard. He believes that Pro Stock Motorcycle riders, primarily those on the Buells, will begin to align themselves with Pro Stock car engine builders.

Last season, Hector Arana won the NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock Motorcycle championship using an engine with cylinder heads prepared by Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan.

“I started that trend, and it paid off in 2007 and almost again in 2008,” Smith added. “These V-Twin engines aren’t far off of what these Pro Stock guys are building.”

Smith said this sponsorship could signal the beginning of a Pro Stock Motorcycle program in Qatar. He has already traveled to the country within the United Arab Emirates training riders.

“I sold one of my bikes to a racer over there, and I’ve been over there a few times to teach him how to ride the bike,” said Smith, who leaves for Qatar today. “We’re working towards having them out here next season.”

When that happens, Smith could be aligned with as many as four bikes on the NHRA Full Throttle tour.

Smith’s wife, Angie, will be a full-time rider on the tour in 2010, and he will tune and build engines for the Karl and Kim Klement bike.

Smith has also added a new engine client in Doug Horne, a 2009 NHRA rookie of the year candidate. Needless to say, Smith’s schedule will be both full and challenging.

“It’s going to be a wide-open season,” Smith said. “This is one of those seasons you can’t wait to get started on. I am ready to start tomorrow.”