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Chris “Smitty” Smith Tells the Truth About Pro Touring
Our featured interview this week is one I’ve wanted to do for a long time.
If you’ve attended an Ultimate Street Car event or spent time around competitive Pro Touring builds, chances are you’ve heard of Chris “Smitty” Smith from Smitty’s Custom Automotive.
Chris has spent nearly three decades building some of the fastest and most respected street machines in the country. More importantly, he tests them. He races them. He breaks parts for manufacturers, tells them what failed, and helps make those products better.
That’s why I wanted him on the show.
What makes this interview different is how honest Chris is.
He openly discusses which manufacturers consistently produce quality parts, which products he trusts on customer builds, and where enthusiasts should spend—or save—their money. We also dive into suspension geometry, anti-lock braking systems, independent rear suspension versus torque arms, chassis development, and why simply bolting expensive parts onto a car rarely creates a winner.
One of the biggest takeaways for me was hearing Chris explain that today’s biggest performance advantage isn’t another fifty horsepower.
It’s braking.
Modern ABS systems allow drivers to stay deeper into the brake zone while maintaining steering control, fundamentally changing how quickly these cars can navigate a road course or autocross. It’s one of those technological leaps that reminds us performance is about far more than horsepower numbers.
Chris also shares realistic budgets for building a truly competitive Pro Touring car. If you’ve ever wondered what it actually costs to compete at the front of an Ultimate Street Car field, he answers that question honestly—and it may surprise you.
Find Out More
If you’d like to learn more about Chris Smith and see the incredible work coming out of Smitty’s Custom Auto, be sure to visit SmittysCustomAuto.com. For the latest shop updates, race weekends, and behind-the-scenes photos, follow Smitty’s Custom Auto on Facebook and Instagram. If you like to watch the action, don’t miss the Smitty’s Custom Auto YouTube channel, where you’ll find videos featuring customer builds, shop projects, and track footage.
Thanks Chris! -Rob Kibbe
Innovation Never Stops
Whether we’re talking about a revolutionary aircraft engine, a young racer learning the smallest details that separate good from great, or one of the country’s best Pro Touring builders sharing decades of hard-earned experience, this episode comes back to one common idea.
Progress never happens by accident.
Somebody has to ask a better question.
Somebody has to test a different idea.
Somebody has to be willing to fail long enough to eventually get it right.
That’s exactly why I think you’ll enjoy this week’s episode.
This interview sponsored by our pals at National Parts Depot – your premier source for muscle car restoration parts!
Dallas Kibbe Racing Update
Back on the racing front, Dallas continues working through one of the toughest proving grounds in grassroots motorsports: the Charlotte Motor Speedway Summer Shootout.
The results don’t always tell the full story.
Race seven turned into a rain-delayed doubleheader after qualifying, creating one of the wildest race days of the season. Dallas fought his way from deep in the field, crossing the finish line sixth before a late-race caution and scoring rules officially moved him back to thirteenth. That’s short-track racing.
One statistic, however, tells me far more than finishing position ever could.
Dallas currently leads the series in positions gained from his starting spot. In other words, nobody is passing more cars during the race than he is. That tells me the speed is there. The race craft is there. Now it’s about putting complete weekends together.
As a dad, it’s easy to focus on wins, but racing has a funny way of teaching perspective. I mention Denny Hamlin during this episode for exactly that reason. One of the winningest active NASCAR drivers has still lost far more races than he’s won. Success in racing isn’t measured by one checkered flag. It’s measured by continual improvement, learning from mistakes, and building consistency.
Dallas is doing exactly that.
One of my favorite moments this week is sharing audio from the MRN race broadcast as they call his battle for position at Charlotte. Hearing your kid’s name come over a national race broadcast never gets old.
Follow Dallas Kibbe Racing for race results, stats, and behind-the-scenes racing action:
https://www.facebook.com/DallasKibbeRacing
https://www.instagram.com/dallaskibbe_13/
https://www.tiktok.com/@dallaskibbe_13
https://www.myracepass.com/drivers/178661
From Oshkosh to Apexes:
Why I Love Engineering That Pushes Boundaries
One of the reasons I still love putting this show together every week is that I never know exactly where it’s going to take us. Some episodes focus on racing. Others are about restorations or automotive history. Every once in a while, though, an episode comes together that reminds me why I fell in love with mechanical things in the first place.
Whether it’s an airplane, a race car, or a Pro Touring Camaro, the common thread is always the same—people refusing to accept that “good enough” is good enough.
This week’s episode is really about that pursuit.
Returning to Oshkosh
If you’ve listened to this show for very long, you already know I have a lifelong love of aviation. Before I ever dreamed about hosting a podcast, I dreamed about flying airplanes. I eventually earned my private pilot’s license, but my love for aviation really started because of my dad.
Dad spent his career in aerospace, and every summer we’d make the trip to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh together. For us, it wasn’t simply an airshow—it was a yearly tradition. We’d spend days walking the flight line, looking at everything from vintage warbirds to the newest technology the aviation world had to offer.
After my dad passed away in 2021, I wasn’t sure what Oshkosh would feel like without him. What I discovered is that it’s one of the few places where I still feel connected to those memories. Every year I find something that reminds me of him, whether it’s an old Mooney wearing the same factory paint scheme as his airplane or simply walking through the campground surrounded by thousands of people who love aviation as much as he did.
This year Laura and I are heading back, and I’m looking forward to doing what I enjoy most—camping right on the grounds, staying immersed in the event from sunrise until long after the evening airshow ends.
The Future of General Aviation
One display I’m especially excited to see this year is the new TurboTech regenerative turbine engine.
If you’ve never looked into general aviation, you might be surprised to learn that many certified aircraft are still powered by engine designs that haven’t fundamentally changed in decades. They’re reliable, proven, and incredibly durable—but they’re also tied to aging technology and, in many cases, still require leaded aviation fuel.
TurboTech’s approach is fascinating because it attacks one of the biggest drawbacks of turbine engines: fuel consumption. By using regenerative heat recovery, the company has developed a compact turbine capable of delivering fuel economy comparable to traditional piston engines while maintaining many of the advantages turbines are known for.
That’s the kind of engineering breakthrough I love seeing because it has the potential to completely reshape an industry.
Of course, my mind immediately starts wandering. What would this technology look like in a modernized Mooney? Could you build a lightweight carbon-fiber airplane around it? Those are the kinds of ideas that make Oshkosh such an inspiring place to visit every year.
