Pro Mod Madness! Our Fuel Curve Top 10 List, #3 Rickie Smith
Editor’s Note. This is a ten-part series we will run once per week introducing the Top 10 Pro Mod race cars in our opinion. Series author Steven Bunker knows a thing or two about drag racing, especially Pro Mods. His grandfather Bob Bunker was one of the premier racers in supercharged, steel-bodied, quarter mile door cars which were the precursor to the class. Check back each week as Steven counts ‘em down!
#3 – “Tricky” Rickie Smith
When it comes to nitrous powerplants, chassis and suspension tuning for any kind of combination, “Tricky Rickie” is the man to know about pro mod madness. One of the original Pro Mod racers from back in the day, Smith has evolved through the progression of the class and has always found a way to stay on top. He’s adept at getting inside his competitor’s heads similar to Don Garlits. Whether it’s racing quarter-mile or eighth-mile, to adjusting to the switch from carburetors to EFI for nitrous cars, Smith has racked up countless event wins and championships as both a driver and a tuner in multiple associations. The versatility Rickie Smith has to offer is unlike anyone else. Simply put, he has forgotten more about Pro Mod racing than most will ever know. Smith has dabbled with driving both turbocharged and supercharged cars but always makes his way home behind the wheel of a 900-plus cubic inch nitrous-fed engine. Smith has “retired” from drag racing more times than most but his love and deep-rooted passion for the sport always brings him back out. Pro Mod madness and the racing that comes with it just wouldn’t be the same without Rickie Smith.
Tune in next week for #2 on our Top 10 Pro Mods
Complete list:
#10 – Danny Rowe
#9 – Todd Tutterow
#8 – Lizzy Musi
#7 – Troy Coughlin
#6 – John Zappia
#5 – Frankie Taylor
#4 – Jose Gonzalez
