TWO-TIME PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE WORLD CHAMPION MATT SMITH REALIZES ICING ON THE CAKE COULD BE WIN AT COUNTDOWN OPENING NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In his first year on a new Victory Factory Racing Gunner, two-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Matt Smith already considers his 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season a success by securing a top 10 spot and a berth in the Countdown to the Championship.

But a strong performance at this weekend’s eighth annual NHRA Carolina Nationals at state-of-the-art zMAX Dragway, which kicks off the six-race NHRA playoffs, and Smith could have an entirely new set of goals for the final five races following it.

Smith enters the Countdown to the Championship in the sixth position, meaning he already considers the season a success on a new bike, but he also knows a win could put him in a good position to make his 2015 season even better.

“If you win the first race you put yourself in a good spot to win a championship,” Smith said. “It doesn’t matter where you’re at in the points, if you win that first race it gives you momentum and you can just accelerate from there. Hopefully we can do better than we did the first time in Charlotte this year (at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals) and get at least a semifinal or final, and maybe give ourselves a chance to win.”

Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel); Matt Hagan (Funny Car) Jonathan Gray (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the playoff opener. ESPN2 will provide national television coverage of the NHRA Carolina Nationals. The event has kicked off the Countdown to the Championship since 2007, giving drivers a chance to quickly jump into the championship mix at the first of six playoff races.

Smith, who lost in the second round of the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte in March, sits just 70 points behind points leader Eddie Krawiec heading into the Countdown to the Championship. That opens up the possibility to compete for a third world championship, but Smith is already extremely pleased with the direction his 2015 season has gone.

He hasn’t won a race, but Smith has advanced to one final round and stayed competitive in the first season of breaking in a new bike.

“We’ve made a lot of progress with this Victory Gunner the last five races,” said Smith, who has qualified sixth or better at three of the past five events. “I set two goals for this year: The first was to make the top 10 and we accomplished that and the second was to try to win a race for Victory. That’s our main goal during the Countdown. We have a brand new motor we built for the Countdown, so it will be interesting to see how it goes. It might help us a little bit and if it doesn’t we know we have a good motor already.”

Smith certainly plans to give it everything he has during the Countdown with hopes of winning a championship, and debuting a new motor in Charlotte is evidence of that. But he also considers any success that comes over the next six races as icing on the cake to a great debut season with Victory.

That said, the competitor in Smith is ready to tangle with the best in the loaded Pro Stock Motorcycle class over the next six races starting in Charlotte.

“I have to focus on what I need to do, which is win rounds,” Smith said. “If we get to 2-3 races left and it looks like we can run for a title, we’ll do that. If not we’re still going to try to get wins for Victory this year. But we have a good shot at it and a good shot at moving up. The Countdown is tough, but now that we’ve made it we want to run (well) and try to win a race. I just have to make the best runs I can. That new motor might really respond and show a lot on the track. We’ll see if we can make some rounds and maybe give us a chance.”

Smith, who has 17 career wins, will start the Countdown at zMAX Dragway less than 60 miles from home, making it a familiar track for the King, N.C. native. He’s also had success in Charlotte, winning in 2010. To grab another victory, he’ll have to ward off defending Pro Stock Motorcycle world champ Andrew Hines, a two-time winner of this event, defending winner and points leader Krawiec, Hector Arana Jr., who starts the Countdown in second, Jim Underdahl, Hector Arana, Karen Stoffer, alligator farmer Jerry Savoie, who won at Indy for the first time in his career and moved all the way to fourth, Chip Ellis, who jumped into eighth after a runner-up finish in Indy and Scotty Pollacheck.

“I love racing in Charlotte and it’s an awesome track,” Smith said. “I’ve tested a lot there and I really like the track. I know it well and I knew we can run well there. Hopefully we can do it again.”

In Top Fuel, reigning world champion and current points leader Tony Schumacher has his sights set on a ninth Top Fuel world title. “The Sarge” won in Charlotte a year ago to kick of his championship quest and he’ll again face off against a loaded Countdown field in Top Fuel, including Antron Brown and Richie Crampton, who both have four wins in 2015 and will start from the second and third spots, respectively, three-time world champion Larry Dixon, Brittany Force, 2013 world champ Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta, J.R. Todd, Steve Torrence and Dave Connolly.

Hagan drove his Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger to a victory at the event a year ago in Funny Car, which helped him get the jump on the competition en route to his second world championship. But everyone is chasing red-hot Jack Beckman, the current points leader who won his sixth race of the year with a memorable weekend in Indy. Along with Hagan, who is currently in second, his major threats will be Tommy Johnson Jr., John Force, Robert Hight, Ron Capps, Del Worsham, who moved to fourth heading into the Countdown, Tim Wilkerson, Cruz Pedregon and Alexis DeJoria, who will start the quest for her first championship from the No. 10 position.

Pro Stock points leader and reigning world champion Erica Enders, who has six wins this season including the recent Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, will have her hands full dealing with challenges from four-time world champion and four-time 2015 winner Greg Anderson, who is in second to begin the Countdown, and his teammate Jason Line. Other championship contenders include two-time event winner in 2015 Chris McGaha, who is currently third, Allen Johnson, Vincent Nobile, Shane Gray, Jonathan Gray, rookie Drew Skillman and veteran driver Larry Morgan, who won the Four-Wide Nationals here in April.

Drivers in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Series also will look to become winners of the thrilling event during the weekend.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Sept. 18, with sessions at 12:30 and 3 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, Sept. 19, at 12:45 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for Noon on Sunday, Sept. 20. J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday at 2:30 and 4:45 p.m. with one final qualifying session on Saturday at 12:15 p.m. The first round will begin on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and continue on Sunday.

Fans can be a part of the action all weekend with a Three-Day Pass to the NHRA Carolina Nationals starting at $99. Tickets for children 13 and under are free with any paid adult ticket; to purchase general admission or reserved seats please visit www.zMAXDragway.com or call the box office at (800) 455-FANS (3267). For more information about NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.

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NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS FACT SHEET

WHAT: Eighth annual NHRA Carolina Nationals, the 19th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and the first of six races in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs.. Drivers in four categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle – earn points leading to 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships.

WHERE: zMAX Dragway- Track is located on Hwy 29 off I-85 at exit 49 (Speedway Blvd.) in the Concord, N.C. area.

COURSE: Championship drag strip; Track elevation is 630 feet above sea level. Standard two-lane dragstrip configuration will be used at this event for all categories.

WHEN: Friday through Sunday, Sept. 18-20

SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY, Sept. 18 – LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying

NHRA J&A SERVICE PRO MOD SERIES qualifying at 2:30 and 5 p.m.

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 3:15 and 5:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, Sept. 19 – LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations

NHRA J&A SERVICE PRO MOD SERIES qualifying at 12:15 p.m.; first round of eliminations at 2:30 p.m.

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 12:45 and 3 p.m.

SUNDAY, Sept. 20 – Pre-race ceremonies, 11 a.m.

MELLO YELLO SERIES eliminations begin at noon

TELEVISION:

Sunday, Sept. 20, ESPN2 will televise 90 minutes of qualifying coverage at 1:30 a.m. (ET).

Sunday, Sept. 20, ESPN2 will re-air one hour of qualifying coverage at 7 a.m. (ET).

Sunday, Sept. 20, ESPN2 will televise three hours of eliminations coverage starting at 8:30 p.m. (ET).

SATELLITE (Digital HD feed):

Saturday, Sept. 19, 6 – 6:30 p.m. (ET), SES 1/Transponder 18C

Sunday, Sept. 20, 6:30 – 7 p.m. (ET), SES 1/ Transponder 18C

(4060 MHz, horizontal; Data Rate: 40.46147055 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 29.27 Ms; FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 36 Mhz)

Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners’ interviews on Sunday.

2014 EVENT WINNERS: Tony Schumacher, Top Fuel; Matt Hagan, Funny Car; Jonathan Gray, Pro Stock; Eddie Krawiec, Pro Stock Motorcycle.

TRACK RECORDS:

Top Fuel – 3.713 sec. by J.R. Todd, March ’15; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April ’12.

Funny Car – 3.980 sec. by Cruz Pedregon, Sept. ’13; 322.27 mph by Matt Hagan, Sept. ’11.

Pro Stock – 6.455 sec. by Jason Line, March ’15; 215.48 mph by Greg Anderson, March ’15.

Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.794 sec. and 199.88 mph by Hector Arana Jr., March ’15.

NATIONAL RECORDS:

Top Fuel – 3.680 sec. by Antron Brown, Aug. ‘15, Brainerd, Minn.; 332.75 mph by Spencer Massey, Aug. ‘15, Brainerd, Minn.

Funny Car – 3.901 sec. by Jack Beckman, Aug. ‘15, Brainerd, Minn.; 329.58 mph by Matt Hagan, Aug. ‘15, Brainerd, Minn.

Pro Stock – 6.455 sec. by Jason Line, March ’15, Charlotte, N.C.; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders-Stevens, May ‘14, Englishtown, N.J.

PS Motorcycle – 6.728 sec. by Andrew Hines, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.; 199.88 mph by Hector Arana Jr., March ’15, Charlotte, N.C.

TICKETS: Order tickets by phone at (800) 455-FANS. Tickets also are available online at www.zmaxdragway.com.

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NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS

GLENDORA, Calif. — Official reset point standings following the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season. Points have been reset for the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race playoffs –

Top Fuel: 1. Tony Schumacher, 2110; 2. Antron Brown, 2080; 3. Richie Crampton, 2,070; 4. Larry Dixon, 2,060; 5. Brittany Force, 2,050; 6. Shawn Langdon, 2,040; 7. Doug Kalitta, 2,030; 8. J.R. Todd, 2,020; 9. Steve Torrence, 2,010; 10. Dave Connolly, 2,000.

Funny Car: 1. Jack Beckman, 2,110; 2. Matt Hagan, 2,080; 3. Tommy Johnson Jr., 2,070; 4. Del Worsham, 2,060; 5. John Force, 2,050; 6. Ron Capps, 2,040; 7. Robert Hight, 2,030; 8. Tim Wilkerson, 2,020; 9. Cruz Pedregon, 2,010; 10. Alexis DeJoria, 2,000.

Pro Stock: 1. Erica Enders, 2,110; 2. Greg Anderson, 2,080; 3. Chris McGaha, 2,070; 4. Jason Line, 2,060; 5. Allen Johnson, 2,050; 6. Larry Morgan, 2,040; 7. Shane Gray, 2,030; 8. Drew Skillman, 2,020; 9. Vincent Nobile, 2,010; 10. Jonathan Gray, 2,000.

Pro Stock Motorcycle: 1. Eddie Krawiec, 2,110; 2. Hector Arana Jr, 2,080; 3. Andrew Hines, 2,070; 4. Jerry Savoie, 2,060; 5. Karen Stoffer, 2,050; 6. Matt Smith, 2,040; 7. Jim Underdahl, 2,030; 8. Chip Ellis, 2,020; 9. Hector Arana, 2,010; 10. Scotty Pollacheck, 2,000.