Engine Issues Shut Down #26 As Crew Watches From The Garage

Corydon, Indiana – ApplianceZone.com Racing’s #26 driver Brad Smith got another lesson in “stuff happens” during the Rattlesnake 150 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Fortunately, Smith, a 22-year veteran of the ARCA series, has seen it all and takes the setbacks in stride. “The tricky thing about racing is that no matter how good a driver you are, all it takes is an issue with the car to ruin your day,” Smith said. “From something small as a loose electrical connection to something major as a blown engine or transmission failure, anything and everything can and sometimes will go wrong.”

After rain shut down qualifying runs –causing race officials to assign pole positions based on starting positions –Smith started in the 18th spot– not far back from his career best finish of 12th. But immediately he encountered a problem with the engine.
“As soon as we started, the oil pressure was low and just kept getting lower from that moment forward,” Smith said. “I knew it was hemorrhaging internally. Didn’t totally blow the motor, but that’s what took us out. ”Making matters worse was that half his crew had to watch helplessly from a distance as their car fell back in the race –they’d been prohibited access to their own pit station.
Race security officials had claimed they lacked the proper passes and restricted them to the garage area.“It turned out security was mistaken,” Smith said, “but it wasn’t corrected until after the race. ”Looking back on similar disappointments at Daytona, Palm Beach and Salem, Smith admits he’s off to a bad start of the 2010 ARCA series, but he’s positive about his abilities to turn things around and is working hard to make corrections. Some of the improvements on his list include a chief mechanic and upgraded garage to be based near his home in Shelby Township, Michigan, near Detroit.

The Rattlesnake 150 was ARCA’s first return to Texas Motor Speedway since it’s initial visit in 1998, and Smith joins Frank Kimmel as the only 2010 season drivers to have previously raced there with ARCA.