IHRA: At 62, legend Rickie Smith still has it
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IHRA: At 62, legend Rickie Smith still has it
[h=2]IHRA: At 62, legend Rickie Smith still has it[/h] Steven Cole Smith (words & image)
In 20 or 30 minutes, Rickie Smith will put on his helmet and drive his Pro Mod to an IHRA elapsed time World Record of 5.831 seconds. But right this minute, sitting on the back of the SUV towing his car to the U.S. 131 Motorplex starting line, his eyes are closed. Asleep? No, just being Rickie Smith. He has done this – what, hundreds? Thousands of times? And there's just no point getting all worked up.
In drag racing, Smith, born on Christmas day, 1953, is a certified legend. He won his first IHRA Super Modified Championship in 1976, repeating in 1977. Switching divisions, he won his first of five IHRA Pro Stock World Championships in 1982. He followed the 1982 championship with four consecutive Pro Stock Championships from 1986 through 1989.
In 1997, Smith decided he'd try a new class – IHRA Pro Modifieds, and since then, he has bounced between Pro Mods and Pro Stocks. Why Pro Mods? "I like the rules," he says, in his North Carolina drawl. "And I like the competition."
Smith's speech and movements are so deliberate that you would never suspect how fast he is at the starting line – Smith looks like the gunfighter in every Western movie ever made, the one the bad guys underestimate until he slips the revolver out of the holster.
Very few racers have been able to traverse the sanctioning body alphabet as successfully as Rickie Smith. Though his roots will always be in the IHRA, he has raced with, and won with, the ADRL, the PDRA and the NHRA, including the U.S. Nationals. His son, Matt, is also an accomplished racer.
Unfortunately, Smith's trip to the Northern Nationals did not end on a happy note. As he set that ET record, a valve in the engine failed, and he ended up with an explosion right up through the hood.
Which made the gunfighter angry. "I can fix the engine," he told IHRA announcer Bill Stephens, "but I have to pay for the new bodywork!"
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Port Richey Rod Run at Coast Buick GMC Coming May 25 2024
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50's Diner US19.... A Florida Attraction.
1730 US-19, Holiday Fl 34691 click: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/t...-racing.html CHRA sanctioned cruise-in.
Cruise-In; Free; Every Saturday 5-8PM plus 10% off the whole menu to cruisers
All Cars Every 2nd Saturday Free Breakfast: Since 2015 and more. click: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/e...ast-tampa.html
Tampa Racing.com covers the Tampa car scene and supports many fund raisers, worthy causes and events that enrich our community. We hope you enjoy them all.
What do I do? ---- on-site *Aftermarket* spring/suspension installations --- on-site impact wrenching---street lowering with your own stock springs...........True Bi-xenon HID projector headlight conversions........ Much more at Bob's Garage!
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Keystone Facebook ...click: "Keystone Motor Car Club"
Port Richey Rod Run at Coast Buick GMC Coming May 25 2024
https://carstoshow.com/registerevent.aspx?eventid=99114
50's Diner US19.... A Florida Attraction.
1730 US-19, Holiday Fl 34691 click: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/t...-racing.html CHRA sanctioned cruise-in.
Cruise-In; Free; Every Saturday 5-8PM plus 10% off the whole menu to cruisers
All Cars Every 2nd Saturday Free Breakfast: Since 2015 and more. click: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/e...ast-tampa.html
Tampa Racing.com covers the Tampa car scene and supports many fund raisers, worthy causes and events that enrich our community. We hope you enjoy them all.
What do I do? ---- on-site *Aftermarket* spring/suspension installations --- on-site impact wrenching---street lowering with your own stock springs...........True Bi-xenon HID projector headlight conversions........ Much more at Bob's Garage!
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/b...ontact-us.html
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/b...e-senor-honda/
Keystone Motor Club (Founded 2012)... Free car show Every 3rd Saturday, newsletter is
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/e...-car-club.html
Keystone Facebook ...click: "Keystone Motor Car Club"
Port Richey Rod Run at Coast Buick GMC Coming May 25 2024
https://carstoshow.com/registerevent.aspx?eventid=99114
50's Diner US19.... A Florida Attraction.
1730 US-19, Holiday Fl 34691 click: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/t...-racing.html CHRA sanctioned cruise-in.
Cruise-In; Free; Every Saturday 5-8PM plus 10% off the whole menu to cruisers
All Cars Every 2nd Saturday Free Breakfast: Since 2015 and more. click: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/e...ast-tampa.html
Tampa Racing.com covers the Tampa car scene and supports many fund raisers, worthy causes and events that enrich our community. We hope you enjoy them all.
What do I do? ---- on-site *Aftermarket* spring/suspension installations --- on-site impact wrenching---street lowering with your own stock springs...........True Bi-xenon HID projector headlight conversions........ Much more at Bob's Garage!
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/b...ontact-us.html
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/b...e-senor-honda/
Last edited by senor honda; 08-25-2016 at 01:53 PM.
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(Photos courtesy NHRA)
By Jerry BonkowskiNov 2, 2016, 6:59 PM EDT
be 63 years old, but drag racer Rickie Smith is a Mod kind of guy. As in Pro Modified, the NHRA class that he has dominated over much of the last several years, including capturing his third championship last weekend at Las Vegas.
By Jerry BonkowskiNov 2, 2016, 6:59 PM EDT
be 63 years old, but drag racer Rickie Smith is a Mod kind of guy. As in Pro Modified, the NHRA class that he has dominated over much of the last several years, including capturing his third championship last weekend at Las Vegas.
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Keystone Motor Club (Founded 2012)... Free car show Every 3rd Saturday, newsletter is
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/e...-car-club.html
Keystone Facebook ...click: "Keystone Motor Car Club"
Port Richey Rod Run at Coast Buick GMC Coming May 25 2024
https://carstoshow.com/registerevent.aspx?eventid=99114
50's Diner US19.... A Florida Attraction.
1730 US-19, Holiday Fl 34691 click: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/t...-racing.html CHRA sanctioned cruise-in.
Cruise-In; Free; Every Saturday 5-8PM plus 10% off the whole menu to cruisers
All Cars Every 2nd Saturday Free Breakfast: Since 2015 and more. click: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/e...ast-tampa.html
Tampa Racing.com covers the Tampa car scene and supports many fund raisers, worthy causes and events that enrich our community. We hope you enjoy them all.
What do I do? ---- on-site *Aftermarket* spring/suspension installations --- on-site impact wrenching---street lowering with your own stock springs...........True Bi-xenon HID projector headlight conversions........ Much more at Bob's Garage!
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/b...ontact-us.html
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/b...e-senor-honda/
Keystone Motor Club (Founded 2012)... Free car show Every 3rd Saturday, newsletter is
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/e...-car-club.html
Keystone Facebook ...click: "Keystone Motor Car Club"
Port Richey Rod Run at Coast Buick GMC Coming May 25 2024
https://carstoshow.com/registerevent.aspx?eventid=99114
50's Diner US19.... A Florida Attraction.
1730 US-19, Holiday Fl 34691 click: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/t...-racing.html CHRA sanctioned cruise-in.
Cruise-In; Free; Every Saturday 5-8PM plus 10% off the whole menu to cruisers
All Cars Every 2nd Saturday Free Breakfast: Since 2015 and more. click: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/e...ast-tampa.html
Tampa Racing.com covers the Tampa car scene and supports many fund raisers, worthy causes and events that enrich our community. We hope you enjoy them all.
What do I do? ---- on-site *Aftermarket* spring/suspension installations --- on-site impact wrenching---street lowering with your own stock springs...........True Bi-xenon HID projector headlight conversions........ Much more at Bob's Garage!
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/b...ontact-us.html
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/b...e-senor-honda/
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