The weather was warm, the racing was hot, and “Cowboy” Kenny Smith had just snagged the lead from Pat Mintey Jr. and Connor Cantrell in a three wide pass. He had to work his way through the field and his truck kept getting faster the longer the run went on. Smith pulled away from second place and saw the checkered flag for the first time in 10 years. The team was ecstatic, Kenny was emotional, and the fans were on their feet for the veteran racer. The date was May 19, 2007.
"I’ve caught back up to the tail of the front runners"— Kenny Smith
Four years later, Smith is looking to recapture that magical moment with his Quick Pick Motorsports super truck. Kenny has confirmed that the team has discovered some problems that were hindering success. “Ever since my last win, we’ve been struggling” the cowboy explained, “we didn’t change the setup, but it was like the truck wouldn’t respond.” Upon further inspection, the team found that the tires they were purchasing were not the same type on the truck on that victorious day. With the different tire, the truck reacted differently to the winning setup and the team could not find the problem. “We swapped out springs, we got new shocks, and changed nearly everything we could think of,” but the biggest issue was right under Smith’s nose. “Now with the right tires, we are working to get the old setup that gave us success,” Kenny said hopefully.
With the #43 in the improvement groove, Smith has been picking up momentum that has him battling with the top pack. “I’ve caught back up to the tail of the front runners,” Smith responded when asked who his biggest competition was, “I’m getting ‘racey’ with them and it’s a lot of fun.” He went on to name several of the drivers up front that he is eager to race with, including last year’s 10-win-in-a-row Ryan Partridge.
This weekend will mark the fourth race of the season for the King Taco Super Trucks, and Smith is eager to break the top 5 and race for the win. Last year, he competed in several of the “open comp” races, with cars of all divisions, new and old, racing against each other on the third mile. Kenny said he would not be competing in this week’s race because he “wants to keep the car in one piece.” The gates at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale open at 4pm, with an autograph session at 5:30pm and the racing starting at 7pm.
For more information on Kenny Smith and Quick Pick Motorsports, please visit www.quickpickmotorsports.com .
