DENSO Auto Parts Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Angie Smith will sit out the rest of the 20th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals after an accident Friday night while doing motor maintenance on her Buell.
“I was changing valve springs on the motor, which I’ve done 200 times, and when I swung a hammer to break it loose, I hit the first quarter of my finger and split it completely in two,” the 2x national event winner Smith explained. “We went to the emergency room, and they put stitches in it and a nerve blocker, but I crushed all the bones on the end of my left index finger.”
As to be expected, Smith has the mentality to keep competing this weekend but has ultimately decided to park her DENSO Auto Parts Buell for the weekend to heal and prevent further injury and potential infection.
“I want to thank everybody at Bristol Regional Medical Center, they were wonderful with my care last night,” she said. “Doctor Farmer was wonderful in sewing my finger up.”
“Our hands as Pro Stock Motorcycle racers are really important and having my index finger split in two will make it real difficult to release the clutch,” she added. “I think it’s the wisest decision to be on the sidelines for the rest of the weekend and heal up for Vegas. It’s definitely a set back and I hate it for DENSO and everybody that supports me.”
This story was originally published on October 16, 2021. 
