ANGIE SMITH & JIANNA EVARISTO Lock, Load for NHRA Countdown Championship Hunt

September 12, 2025

• ANGIE SMITH enters the NHRA Countdown armed with a fresh engine after struggling all season, while JIANNA EVARISTO has found that sweet spot of confidence that comes from securing her playoff berth. The Matt Smith Racing duo rolled into Maple Grove looking like an army, side by side with helmets off and eyes locked forward—exactly the kind of presence you need when every round suddenly counts and there’s no room for error.
• Matt Smith’s four-bike operation gives him the perfect outlet for his “controlled chaos” approach, spreading his mental bandwidth across ANGIE’s, JIANNA’s, John Hall’s, and his own machines. While ANGIE sits fifth in qualifying with her new setup showing promise, JIANNA needs a clean pass after mechanical issues left her at the bottom of the order—but that calm clarity she’s describing could be her secret weapon if she can channel it into sharp reaction times.
• The team’s mindset shift from regular season testing mode to championship sprint is palpable, with ANGIE explaining how “every single round counts” now that they’re chasing the seemingly untouchable Vance & Hines duo. With six races left to decide everything, this crew enters the Countdown looking energized and dangerous—gone is the luxury of experimentation, what remains is pure competition where one mistake can erase months of effort.

maple grove raceway, matt smith racing, nhra countdown, nhra pro stock motorcycle