ENNIS, Texas — The first three races of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs have meant the best three events in Will Smith’s young Top Fuel career, as the standout rookie has come alive in the postseason.
He’s picked up six round wins to open the postseason in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, including his first final-round appearance, which bodes well for Smith as he heads to this weekend’s NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex.
It’s the finale of the massive 10-day Stampede of Speed at the historic facility and it’s an event Smith has had his eye on all year since becoming a full-time driver in the Top Fuel ranks. His 12,000-horsepower Scag Racing dragster has been dangerous in the Countdown, as Smith has vaulted to fifth in points, and he hopes to continue his strong run at a race he’s looked forward to the entire season.
“I’m really looking forward to being part of this spectacle in Dallas,” Smith said. “Last year I went to watch and it was just amazing. It’s one of my favorite races on tour as a fan and now I’m looking forward to competing at this event.
“I’ve been looking forward to this all year and I’m super excited about this event. Getting to be behind the wheel for the first time at Texas Motorplex, it’s going to be really exciting. I would love to take one of these Diamond Wallys home. That’s the goal for all of us on this team. We’ve come on strong and our performance is getting better and better with each race.”
Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Richard Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won the highly coveted NHRA FallNationals cowboy hat and the Wally trophy last year.
On Saturday, VP Racing Spirits Final Qualifying takes place during the final qualifying session. VP Racing Spokesperson Ida Zetterstrom will be joined by the VP Racing Mad Scientist mascot to represent the brand and their Twisted Sisters Texas Whiskey. All four pro classes will be competing for a “Speedy Armadillo” trophy as well.
That puts a lot on the line even before Sunday’s eliminations and Smith hopes to play a part in all of it. He’s made stellar progress in the Countdown as the team has dipped into the 3.60s, advancing to the semifinals in Rockingham and the final round in St. Louis.
Each playoff race has been better than the next, which means the only thing left for Dallas is Smith’s first win.
That won’t come easy, as Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon has swept the first three playoff races and the last four events overall. He holds a commanding lead over the likes of Doug Kalitta, Tony Stewart, Leah Pruett, Maddi Gordon and Antron Brown, but Smith is confident his team can contend for the victory in Dallas.
“All of this is just validating the work of this team,” Smith said. “We’ve just been building on things all year. We just kept picking at it, trying to improve with each run and run a little better than we did the last time.
“If we continue that trajectory, I feel like the results will take care of themselves. If we can stay on track, I feel like we can compete for a win in Dallas. It’s going to be very, very hard to do, but we’re going to give it all we’ve got. The competition is definitely tough and everyone has stepped up their game. But we have the opportunity to keep going up (the standings), but the goal is to win and keep going with it.”
