NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

If Matt Smith could sum up the 2026 Mission Foods Drag Racing season in one word, it would be: challenging.

After a year of unexpected health issues that prompted emergency surgery, a substitute rider, and being in and out of the shop, Smith fell just short of running for his seventh Pro Stock Motorcycle championship.

“We had really good power, really good success, but I've had health problems,” Smith stated. “Everybody knows I had to have my gallbladder taken out, and I had to sit out some races.”

When Matt started feeling ill in Maryland and was hospitalized for gallstones, which led to the emergency surgery, Chip Ellis replaced him. Then Joey Gladstone stepped in at Bristol to earn points for the six-time world champ while he recovered from his medical procedures. Smith then returned to competition in Sonoma for the GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout.

“I’m pretty healthy now, but I still have to have surgery December 7th to get these hernias fixed, and hopefully for next year, I’ll be one-hundred-percent again,” he shared.

Even with some setbacks, Matt Smith Racing didn’t show it. As a team, they collected six 75th Anniversary Diamond Wallys, four of which Smith earned himself. 

“We ran for the title this year, but just kind of came up short the last two races,” Smith said. “We didn't perform in the Countdown like we should’ve. We’ll go back and look at things, evaluate, and try to be better next year.”

On the flip side, Smith also shared that this year has been rewarding in certain ways. He’s had four competitive bikes in his MSR, DENSO, Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage and Outlaw Light Beer camp, three of which have propelled riders to race wins.

And now, Gladstone is joining the team full time after not only filling in for Smith but MSR rider Jianna Evaristo after first her knee injury and now her pregnancy. It’s been a year in the making, and a “no-brainer” addition to the team.

“He’s worth investing in. He rode my bike and Jianna’s bike really well, and we finally capitalized on that,” Smith said. “We announced the deal in Dallas, and he’s going to be with us for the next two years, gaining points for himself with backing from RAD Torque Systems.”

Smith is fighting for a third-place finish in the Countdown to the Championship standings and the final Diamond Wally of the year.

“We swapped motors yesterday just to swap motors,” he said. “I have a motor that I hurt at Rockingham. We got it back, and I wanted to try it. It didn't show that it was as good as it was before it blew up, but it's still winning [rounds]. I just need to run it and get some data and get it ready for next year.

“I think we’ll see some high 60s this weekend, but probably for our team some low 70s. That one bike seems to be a lot better than everybody else’s. We’ll just wait and see what happens next year.”