Matt & Angie Smith prepare Victory Gunner for NHRA Mellow Yellow Pro Stock Motorcycle Drag Racing Series
MINNEAPOLIS — March 24, 2016 — Victory Motorcycles® Factory Race Team is ready to light ‘em up again in 2016, its second year participating in one of the fastest, most intense sports on the planet: the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mellow Yellow Pro Stock Motorcycle Drag Racing Series.
Showcasing Victory’s commitment to deliver Modern American Muscle, the Victory Motorcycles Factory Race Team is comprised of NHRA power-couple Matt and Angie Smith, who are back racing their tricked-out, custom Victory Gunner drag bikes in this series fit for adrenaline junkies.
Matt boasts two World Champion titles and seventeen career wins, ending the 2015 season – his first with Victory Motorcycles Factory Race Team – 4th in points with three runner-up finishes as well as a No. 1 qualifier. Angie, Matt’s wife and Victory Motorcycles Factory Race Team partner, last year blasted down the strip to three quarterfinal appearances.
Both riders say they got more comfortable aboard the Victory Gunners as their inaugural year atop the bikes progressed, and say off-season gains during testing should see them much improved in 2016.
“We did really well in testing and we know we have great horsepower,” Angie says of their off-season work in Bradenton, FL. “When you do really well in testing, that makes you want to go to the first race even more just to see how you stack up with everybody. We’re very eager to get there.”
The NHRA Mellow Yellow Pro Stock Motorcycle Drag Racing Series, which kicked off March 17-20 at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., is scheduled to make 16 stops in 2016. Race attendees can meet the fan-friendly Smiths and their Victory Gunner drag bikes in person, as NHRA racing allows fans to get close to the action to experience the raw power of the Victory Racing Team in the heat of competition.
“The excitement that is created at an NHRA event is matched by the energy that Victory brings to every one of its motorcycles,” said Steve Menneto, President of Motorcycles for Polaris. “With these Gunners, and these riders, we’ve got the muscle to make history happen.”
After stops in Gainesville, FL, Charlotte, N.C., Atlanta, GA, Englishtown, NJ, Norwalk, OH, Chicago, IL, Denver, CO, Sonoma, CA, Brainerd, MN, Indianapolis, IN, Charlotte, SC, St. Louis, MO, Reading, PA, Dallas, TX and Las Vegas, NV, the NHRA Mellow Yellow Pro Stock Motorcycle Drag Racing Series season ends Nov. 10-13 at the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif.
Visit NHRA.com for up-to-date news about the NHRA Mellow Yellow Pro Stock Motorcycle Drag Racing Series. Learn more about Victory Motorcycles at VictoryMotorcycles.com or follow onTwitter and Facebook.
ABOUT VICTORY MOTORCYCLES®
Victory Motorcycles designs, engineers, manufactures and markets a full line of cruisers, baggers and touring motorcycles. Every Victory model delivers industry-leading performance, comfort, style, storage and reliability. The first Victory was produced on the Fourth of July, 1998, in Spirit Lake, Iowa, where every Victory motorcycle continues to be produced today. Information about Victory motorcycles, apparel and accessories is available at www.victorymotorcycles.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/VictoryMotorcycles
ABOUT POLARIS® INDUSTRIES
Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) is a global powersports leader with annual 2015 sales of $4.7 billion. Polaris fuels the passion of riders, workers and outdoor enthusiasts with our RANGER®, RZR®and POLARIS GENERAL™ side-by-side off-road vehicles; our SPORTSMAN® and POLARIS ACE® all-terrain off-road vehicles; VICTORY® and INDIAN MOTORCYCLE® midsize and heavyweight motorcycles; SLINGSHOT® moto-roadsters; and Polaris RMK®, INDY®, SWITCHBACK® and RUSH®snowmobiles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with parts, garments and accessories sold under multiple recognizable brands, and has a growing presence in adjacent markets globally with products including military and commercial off-road vehicles, quadricycles, and electricvehicles. www.polaris.com
