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10.25.09
HARTMAN-SMITH QUALIFIES IN THE SEVENTH SPOT; FALLS IN ROUND ONE
Rockingham, NC (October 25, 2009) - Rhonda Hartman-Smith qualified for the IHRA World Finals held at Rockingham Dragway in Rockingham, NC this past weekend. Marking her first appearance back to the drivers seat since 2006, but Rhonda felt right at home in the cockpit.
"We only had one qualifying run to make it into the eight car field due to the weather conditions," said Hartman-Smith. "The car shook pretty hard off the line and I tried to pedal it down the track to get it into the field, luckily it worked."
With only one lap in qualifying, the team didn't have much of a baseline for the first round of eliminations where Hartman-Smith had to face up against her teammate, Del Cox Jr. With both drivers staging together, the tree was activated quickly and Hartman-Smith once again shook at the starting line and had to abort the run. Del Cox Jr. took the win and won the 2009 IHRA Championship.
"It just felt great to be back in the car and hopefully we can race again and get some more laps under our belts," added Hartman-Smith. "I was really comfortable with the car and my routine in the car all came back to me, it was as though I never left the seat."
10.22.09
RHONDA HARTMAN-SMITH TO MAKE TOP FUEL APPEARANCE AT THE ROCK
Anderson, SC (October 22, 2009) - Rhonda Hartman-Smith is returning to her Top Fuel roots this weekend at the IHRA World Finals held at Rockingham Dragway in Rockingham, NC. Marking her first appearance behind the wheel of a Top Fuel Dragster in IHRA since the 2006 season, Hartman-Smith will be piloting one of three Top Fuel entries by team owner, Mitch King with support from Bexar Waste and La King's Confectionary.
"This is a great opportunity to be a part of Mitch King's team and behind the wheel of his 2009 Murf McKinney Dragster," said Hartman-Smith. "I'm excited to get back into the seat and run at Rockingham, where I have many fond memories. I've known Mitch for a long time and it will be great to be surrounded by such an amazing team."
Hartman-Smith made her debut in IHRA in 1994. Her wins in Steel, AL and Tulsa, OK earned her the title of the youngest and first female driver to win an IHRA National event and the IHRA Rookie of the year award. Hartman-Smith went on to gain her third National event win again in 1995 in Darlington, SC and finished the season in second place in championship points.
Hartman-Smith, half of the popular husband-wife team that competed on the NHRA circuit and finished in the Top 10 Championship Points from 2001-2004 took time off for motherhood, but didn't stay away for long. Returning to selected NHRA and IHRA events in 2006, she has also kept her driving instincts sharp by driving her father's, Virgil Hartman, Nostalgia Funny Cars in exhibition runs throughout ensuing years.
Ready for a 2010 return to the NHRA circuit, Hartman-Smith is in talks with several different companies for sponsorship.
"I have had so many fans ask me when I am going to return to the driver's seat," said Hartman-Smith. "I just want them to know that we are working on it, and when I step back in that driver's seat it will be with a vengeance."
Del Cox, Jr., current leader of the IHRA championship point race with 854 points, will be driving King's second entry, while King will pilot the third entry himself. King currently sits in fourth place in the standings with 491 points. Paul Smith, Hartman-Smith's father-in-law, serves as Crew Chief for King's IHRA team, which claimed the 2008 IHRA Championship with Spencer Massey at the wheel. Hartman-Smith's husband, John Smith, will assist his father with the three teams this weekend.
10.12.09
JOHN WINS FIRST FUNNY CAR ROUND IN COMPETITION
Anderson, SC (October 12th, 2009) - John "Bodie" Smith won his first round of competition at the NHRA Virginia Nationals this past weekend in Richmond,VA. The Paul Smith led team qualified in the field on the bump with a 4.82 e.t., which was ran during the first qualifying session on Saturday. John had his hands full on that lap when the car smoked the tires and he pedaled it, going into a wheel stand, but getting down the track to make the field in case of rain later that day. John made two previous laps Friday running a 4.24 e.t. and a 4.22 e.t., but didn't make the top 12 qualifying cut.
Smith faced the number 1 qualifier, Jack Beckman, in round one of eliminations. John left first with a .077 light and never looked back running a 4.25 e.t. at 291 mph to take the round win to a tire smoking Beckman, he recorded a 4.58 e.t.
"We put a fresh motor in the car, a bigger fuel pump, and wanted to test some things out on Sunday," said Smith. "I never saw Beckman and had a cylinder out on the left side so the car was pulling towards the wall, I just tried to keep it in the groove and get to the finish line first."
The team was thrilled to get the round win with John's Funny Car debut. John was confident in round 2 against Mike Neff, leaving first at the starting line once again with a .091 reaction time and leading the way until just past half track where Neff passed him at the finish line by half a car length running a 4.17 e.t. to John's 4.22 e.t.
"We gave it our all and it was a good close race," said Smith. "I was grateful for the experience and we showed that we can't be taken lightly, the car ran down the track all weekend. If we can get us some funding for next year, we could be a serious player."
10.06.09
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JOHN SMITH MAKES FUNNY CAR DEBUT
Anderson, SC (October 6th, 2009) - John "Bodie Smith will make his debut behind the wheel of his father's, Paul Smith, Nitro Funny Car this upcoming weekend at the NHRA Virginia Nationals in Richmond, VA, Oct. 9-11. Smith recently completing his cross-over NHRA license at a test session last month in Indianapolis, IN, is ready at a shot to become a "spoiler" in the Funny Car Championship chase.
Even though this will mark Smith's first race driving a Funny Car in NHRA competition, Smith is no stranger when it comes to fuel cars. Smith has spent the 2009 season tuning for several different part time Top Fuel and Funny Car teams on the NHRA and IHRA circuits as well as the FIA European Drag Racing circuit.
Earlier this season, Smith drove Terry Haddock's Top Fuel dragster at the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals in Madison, IL, and prior to that Smith competed with his wife, Rhonda Hartman-Smith, as part of the popular two-car husband and wife team for Hartman Motorsports finishing as high as 8th in the championship points.
Smith also gained valuable experience behind the wheel of a Funny Car by piloting his father-in-law, Virgil Hartman's Classic Nitro Funny Car during exhibition runs for the past several years.
"This is a great opportunity to race one of my dad's Funny Cars," said John. I have worked with my dad for several years with his Funny Car team, but to be behind the wheel of his Monte Carlo is an experience that I look forward to. My brother, Mike has qualified at several events this year including Gainesville and Atlanta, driving the same car and we know with my dad's tune-up that it will run with the best of them."
The Paul Smith racing team will have help from Diamond Freight Trucking, Valvoline, FRAM, and Autolite.
For the latest results and the ESPN2 TV schedule for Richmond, visit www.nhra.com. |
