McBride Weathers Setback

The years of hard work and waiting seemed to have finally paid off for Angie McBride. Following a successful career in the regional MIROCK motorcycle drag racing series and a few quick appearances on the NHRA tour, McBride was about to embark on her first full season riding an NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle. And it was not just any motorcycle: McBride was to be the teammate of newly crowned NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Matt Smith on the second Torco Race Fuels Buell. Life was good.

Then came the disheartening news that Torco would be pulling all their race team sponsorships for 2008 due to health concerns of Torco owner Evan Knoll.

“I was on an emotional roller-coaster,” said McBride. “On Monday we were finalizing the contract. We had agreed on all the terms, the money, the timeline, our responsibilities, the salary, everything. They were drawing up the final contract. On Tuesday we started hearing rumors that there might be a problem. On Wednesday we got the phone call. It was devastating.”

McBride made her NHRA debut in 2004 riding for George Bryce. Last season she filled in for an injured Shawn Gann on the Race Girl Suzuki. Her breakout event was the 2007 Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona where she was named as the last-minute replacement on Smith’s second Torco Buell and made the field with one lap in the last qualifying session.

McBride, a surgical assistant from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, earned her racing stripes in the wild world of MIROCK Outlaw Pro Street racing. Riding a high-horsepower, no-wheelie-bar, nitrous Suzuki, the 28 year old beauty tamed the temperamental beast, earning the 2003 OPS class championship and placing in the top 5 four times.

Even with much success and veritable celebrity status at MIROCK events, McBride always had her eye on the “big show” of NHRA POWERade racing. “Since I started racing all I wanted to do was race Pro Stock,” said McBride. “The two brief appearances I had in the class only made me want it more. When the opportunity came to race with Matt I thought my time had finally come.”

McBride stated that the team would compete at the first few events of the 2008 NHRA tour while looking for sponsorship. Beyond that it would be race-by-race. “We are optimistic that we will find a marketing partner,” she said. “We have a lot to offer a company that is looking for strong presence in the NHRA series.”

Even with her future up in the air, McBride is more concerned with the heath of Knoll than her racing career.

“Racing is really secondary,” she said. “Our real concern is with Evan. We wish him a speedy recovery.”

Angie McBride can be contacted at angiemcbride25@hotmail.com Matt Smith can be contacted at mattsmithracing@yahoo.com