Brainerd John Smith interview (Pro Bike)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: NHRA Communications (818) 914-4761 CONSISTENCY COULD PUT JOHN SMITH IN WINNERS' CIRCLE AT BRAINERD BRAINERD, Minn. -- John Smith knows the numbers don't lie: His Anoka-Ramsey Suzuki isn't the quickest or fastest Pro Stock Motorcycle in the NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series. But Smith, from Champlin, Minn., also realizes that sometimes it doesn't take huge numbers to win in NHRA Winston Drag Racing. Smith's name didn't appear on the results sheet for the Sears Craftsman Nationals in late June as having the quickest time or the fastest speed, but it did show up where it counts -- as the winner. "It just goes to show that sometimes you don't have to rotate the earth every time," Smith said. "Consistency in driving and consistency in tuning means a lot. We won not because we dominated, but because we were consistent." That approach has helped Smith take a solid hold on fourth place in the NHRA Winston point standings and could deliver a victory at his home event, the 16th annual, $1,425,050 Champion Auto Stores Nationals, Aug. 14-17 at Brainerd International Raceway. The race is the ninth of 14 for Pro Stock Motorcycles in the $30-million NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series. While consistency already has delivered a victory and a runner- up finish for Smith this season, the performance of his bike also has increased dramatically. Engine builder Rick Ward engineered more horsepower during the offseason, and the Anoka-Ramsey team's mechanical braintrust of John Noard and Dave Harlander have honed that power to maximum effect. Smith's breakthrough came during the spring, when he recorded a career-best time of 7.374 seconds at the Pennzoil Nationals and finished runner-up at the Mopar Parts Nationals. "We're constantly looking for new power," Smith said. "There's potentially a little bit more left. It's just a matter of day-to-day tuning. Then in the future we'll get some new stuff."