RACING NEWS

Mitch Smith Race Report

Mitch Smith Pauses Racing Career to Focus on Expanded Automotive Business

Mitch Smith announced a leave from the sport today, pausing a career spanning over two decades in drag racing.
 
Mitch has been behind the wheel for 25 years, and for 15 seasons with Jasper Engines & Transmissions and the NHRA Tour.

Overall, he has had an impressive combination of four NHRA Divisional Championships and 23 event victories in four different classes.

“I feel very fortunate to have been able to make a mark in drag racing and to have enjoyed some success along the way. I would like to thank all of the great sponsors we’ve worked with over the years, everyone at NHRA, the many track owners, operators, and promoters, our past team members, and all of the drag racing fans that have supported our program,” said Smith.
 
“Mary and I have purchased a new 16 acre facility that will house Mitch Smith Auto Service. We have leased a wonderful farm complex out in the country in Anderson, Indiana, for 19 years. It is a perfect time for us to invest in our future and continue the success of our automotive business. Our business is wonderful, and just keeps getting better, and my passion to be the leader in the field continues,” he said.
 
“The racing business, unfortunately, as we all know, takes an incredible amount of funding to be successful. With the down turn in the economy for sponsors and pay outs, it is a perfect decision to set aside our Jasper Engines & Transmissions Drag Racing Program for a couple of years. I have every intention of a full return to the NHRA, along with longtime sponsor Jasper Engines and Transmissions, as our new endeavor takes completion.
 
“I thank you all for the positive impact you have had on our lives.
 
“I have a passion for the sport, just as I have a Passion for our business. Please check our progress at http://www.mitchsmithauto.com/”, Smith concluded.

2010 Season Announcement

Mitch Smith & Jasper Engines & Transmissions have announced their return to the NHRA circuit for the 2010 season, making it their 14TH s eason together.

My words can't describe the excitement I feel. I still have the burning desire to race, and prefer to do it with Jasper Engines & Transmissions.

This journey has allowed us to be a partner with Jasper Engines and Transmissions for more than a decade, which is a blessing. The Associates at JASPER are just like family to us.

Although the 2009 season did not prove as fruitful as did the 2008 season, we raced just as we did in 2008. Our parts breakage was kept to a minimum and our GTO ran great, but as most champions know, 2009 was like racing with a bull’s eye on our back! We brought out the best in all of our competitors this year. We have done this a long time, we love it and look forward to the challenges of the sport.

As for our sponsors, our goal has been the same since we started - perform the best we can, maintain a quality presentation, race on Sunday and sell on Monday! We believe in that today and look forward to another successful season of fast Top-Sportsman action.

We will return with the same team and equipment and the knowledge of how to win. We have the same goals, and our sponsors are behind us 100%, which makes the partnership strong.

This partnership has taken us, and continues to take us, to great places and meet great people. I enjoy making the most of these opportunities! Winning races and championships comes as a secondary achievement.

About Jasper Motorsports

Pro-Sportsman Drag Racing. Final Round Appearance every year. 4-Championships, Won 16 races. Runner-Up at 10 Races. 5-Best Appearing Awards. 3-Best Engineered Awards. Top-Ten Points 6-times. Best time and speed - 6.82 sec. @ 204.91mph.

Along with Jasper Engines and Transmissions, Laser Electric, Jegs, Hoosier Racing Tire, Fel-Pro Gaskets, DART Machinery, Automatic Trans Design, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines, SpeedTech Nitrous, VP-Racing Fuel, Aeromotive Fuel Systems, Lamb Components, Moroso, Diamond Pistons, Donovan Blocks, & Lindy’s Downtown Grocery, will continue as Associate Partners for the 2010 Season.

NHRA Lucas Oil Spring Spectacle of Speed Rescheduled

Mother Nature finally got the best of the NHRA Lucas Oil Spring Spectacle of Speed at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, with the event being postponed Sunday after persistent showers canceled any hope of eliminations.

The event has been rescheduled for Friday and Saturday, May 21 -22.  Tech for the event was closed prior to postponement and no additional entries will be accepted.

The forecast as of now looks like spring showers may wait for us in St. Louis this weekend, for the NHRA Midwest Nationals, May 1-3 at Gateway International Raceway.

JASPER Motorsports 2010 Upcoming Events

April 30 – May 2 14th Annual NHRA Midwest Nationals St. Louis, MO
 
May 14-16/2010 30th Annual NHRA Southern Nationals Atlanta, GA

June 11-13/2010 Rt. 66 Raceway Joliet, IL

JASPER Motorsports / Mitchell Smith Racing partners with high-quality and high-performance companies: 
Jasper Engines & Transmissions, Laser Electric, Jegs, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines, SpeedTech Nitrous, Hoosier Racing Tire, Fel-Pro Gaskets, Speed-Pro, DART Machinery, Automatic Trans Design, VP-Racing Fuel, Aeromotive Fuel Systems, Lamb Components, Moroso,  Diamond Pistons, Donovan Blocks, and Lindy’s Downtown Grocery.

AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals

MADISON, Ill. -- Mother Nature had her way again, as this has been the story for the 2010 season.

We left Gateway International Raceway Sunday a little earlier than hoped, but our Jasper Engines and Transmissions GTO ran very well despite a red light by .002 during the opening round of the AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals.

Teammate Thad Martin was nonetheless pleased with a Quarter-Finals Finish to eventual winner, and good friend, Marco Abruzzi!

It was a good run, and the first race of the season that has run to completion.

Now we are looking forward to getting ready for this weekend’s event at Atlanta Dragway (May 14-16). The following weekend will be the rain-date for the Indianapolis, Lucas Oil Event.

I think we are track for some great Top-Sportsman Action in Atlanta. One of NHRA’s long-established events, Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals celebrates its 30th anniversary this season. This belle of the South has gained a reputation as one of the tougher events on the tour to win. With summer approaching, warm temperatures can turn the event into “Hotlanta” and throw crew chiefs a curve as they try to glue their charges to the facility’s 660-foot concrete launch pad.

  
May 14-16  30th Annual NHRA Southern Nationals -- Atlanta, GA

May 21-22  O’Reilly Raceway Park -- Indianapolis, IN (Rain-Out Event)
 
June 11-13  Rt.66 Raceway -- Joliet, IL