Mike Smith corners the Valvoline Suzuki GSXR1100 F-USA machine en route to victory at Memphis Motorsports Park in September of 1990. It marked the first F-USA for Smith, who went on to win that year’s title. (Larry Lawrence photo)

The Western/Eastern Roadracers’ Association Formula USA National Series was highly competitive during the 1990 season. Coming into Memphis, six different riders had won the seven series races. Ironically, series points leader Mike Smith was not among those. Smith led large portions of many of the races, but had always come up short at the checkered flag. During the Labor Day Weekend at Memphis Motorsports Park, Smith finally tasted the thrill of victory, by winning his first Formula USA event.

Smith who qualified on the pole, led from start to finish on his Valvoline Suzuki GSXR1100 Superbike. Floridian rider Donald Jacks had his best finish of the season finishing in second, 3.3 seconds behind Smith. Pocono winner Kurt Hall, shook off a stubborn Rich Oliver to finish third, making it a Suzuki sweep of the top three finishers.

Smith, of Canton, Georgia, talked about being relieved to finally win a race, “I feel like a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I didn’t worry about anybody else’s practice or qualifying times, I decided to just concentrate on doing the best job I could.”

Despite not winning until September that year, Smith went on to win the 1990 Formula USA Championship.