NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Six-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Matt Smith, who was forced to sit out the recent NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS after being hospitalized for pancreatitis and gallstones, yet nonetheless tuned wife Angie Smith to victory and second rider Jianna Evaristo to the second-fastest speed in class history, will sit out the upcoming Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals and Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. (Pro Stock Motorcycle does not compete at this weekend's NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto.)

Smith, who returned to the racetrack Monday to help Angie finish the job, had his gallbladder removed June 4 and will also have a hernia repaired. He will spend the next few weeks recovering and hopes to be back in action no later than the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. A replacement rider will take over controls of his Denso Buell and continue to earn points for him under the NHRA Driver Replacement Policy. In Maryland, that was Chip Ellis, but Smith did not indicate who would ride the next several races.

Smith is in pursuit of what would be a class-record seventh world championship.

In a Facebook live video message, Smith reported, “I had been babying the hernia, trying to get through the end of the year, been in some pain, but just managing, you know, trying to run this team, because as a racer, you do what you can to promote your sponsor and don't be a wuss, but I think after what happened to Kyle Busch, I think a lot of racers need to pay attention and take care of their health a little bit better. We can't always race in pain, we can't always do what we think we should do.”

Smith thanked everyone who rallied to support his rider, including members of the rival Vance & Hines team, as well as all of the other racers who offered assistance.

“I could race Bristol, they said, but I want to try to get healthy,” said Smith. “I need to get back healthy to where we can run for championships, and I can run this team like it needs to run for a championship, not just me, but for all of them. I'm going to sit Bristol out, I'm going to sit Norwalk out, and I'm probably going [to be] sitting out the [Pro Stock Motorcycle Callout in Sonoma], but there will be somebody on my bike for those races.

“I want to come back strong for Indy. I want to come back and be ready to race for championship, or at least help somebody on my team race for a championship, and I think we have the potential to do that this year.

“Hopefully, we'll see everybody at Bristol and keep this train going, because right now, we're doing good. This MSR [Matt Smith Racing] group is doing good, and we're fighting, we're fighting hard, and that's what we're gonna do the rest of the year.”