Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Angie Smith won for the first time in 2026 on Sunday in front of a capacity crowd at Maryland International Raceway after winning Saturday’s Mission Challenge event.
Smith capped off an emotional – yet highly successful – weekend in the best way possible, winning for the first time in nearly four years and capturing the 200th victory by a female in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series with a weekend-best run of 6.683 at 201.52 on her Denso Auto Parts Buell to defeat Ryan Oehler in the final round.
It reversed the heartbreak of the most recent event in Chicago, when Smith’s bike broke on the starting line in the finals, as she continued to have the best bike in the category for the second straight race. This weekend, Smith made sure to finish the job en route to her fourth career victory in the class.
Her husband, six-time world champ Matt Smith, was also hospitalized on Friday, but he continued to tune the bikes as Angie powered to the No. 1 spot. He was back at the track on Sunday to see his wife dominate, as she cruised to round wins against Brayden Davis and Clayton Howey, going 6.696 in the semifinals.
There were no issues this time in the finals, and Smith led the entire way, securing a monumental and historic victory. She’s now second in points, 26 behind Richard Gadson.
“I was just ecstatic because at 7 a.m. Friday, we were running zero bikes, we were taking the Tree and getting our 30 points, packing up and going home,” Smith said. “At 10 a.m. Matt said, ‘We’re running all four bikes, I believe in you, and you can do it.’ So that’s what we did. It was tough and it was not easy, and it’s one of those things when your team believes in you and your husband believes in you.
“Matt is a remarkable person for him to just navigate running four motorcycles, lining four people up. It was just a challenge, and as a team, we had to step up to the plate. I was very thankful that Matt made it back before first round. He didn’t want to be at the hospital; he wanted to be there with us.”
“It means everything (to get the 200th). From Erica [Enders] to Shirley [Muldowney] to Angelle [Sampey], to all of those ladies who have paved the way for me to come out here, and I get to call some of them my really good friends, and that’s what means so much to me. We have such a close relationship, and I will always be the 200th. I’m glad I can represent the women of NHRA.”
Oehler advanced to his first final round in five years and fifth in his career, continuing to show strong progress with round wins against Chase Van Sant, reigning world champion Gadson and Jianna Evaristo.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action June 5-7 with the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H.
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