Rickie Smith claims NHRA Pro Mod title at NHRA Toyota Nationals - Speedway Digest

Rickie Smith took home his second consecutive world championship title with a victory during the final race of the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series season Sunday at the NHRA Toyota Nationals. Pro Mod racing at this event is presented by Aeromotive, Inc.

Smith powered his nitrous-injected IDG Camaro to a 5.912 second pass at 242.63 mph, defeating No. 1 qualifier Don Walsh in the final round at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was Smith’s third win of the season and seventh of his career. He had previously clinched his second career title with his second round victory over Rick Snavely.

“I’m competitive and I feel I can drive these cars as good as anybody,” said Smith, a native of King, N.C. “I handle it in bad situations. Like I told my crew chief, it isn’t all about cutting lights. You’ve got to know where you want to stage up there. You got to know when it shakes, when to pedal. That’s where I have won these two championships, being able to drive the car when the car isn’t acting right.”

Smith becomes the only Pro Mod Series driver to claim multiple championships. He began the weekend as the No. 2 qualifier, defeating Danny Rowe in the first round on Saturday night. His 5.886 at 243.15 second round victory over Snavely sealed the deal for the title. He went on to beat 2012 Pro Mod world champ Troy Coughlin in the semifinals with a 5.945 at 242.54 to Coughlin’s losing 6.116 at 241.28.

Coughlin, driver of the JEGS turbocharged Corvette, finishes second in the points for the second consecutive year. He picked up victories at Norwalk and the NHRA Carolina Nationals, giving him six career wins.

Walsh backed up his No. 1 qualifying effort with a final round appearance. He defeated Pete Farber, Kevin Rivenbark and Von Smith en route to the final.

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.