Copyright 2005, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Racer Jason Smith credits Max McAllister of Traxxion Dynamics with uncovering a series of thefts police say were committed by a drag racer Smith described as being “my best friend.”

The thefts came to light after a drag racer sold parts from Smith’s Yamaha YZF-R6 on the WERA BBS to a road racer who took the parts to McAllister to be set-up and installed on his own YZF-R6 racebike. McAllister recognized the parts and alerted Smith.

The drag racer police have charged with the theft “was my best friend for 15 years, Joe Perry,” said Smith when Roadracingworld.com called him for comment. “Max McAllister has done a really good job seeing that this guy gets brought to justice. It’s really good that he thought enough of me to remember that my bike had been stolen and to watch out for the parts.”

Perry has been charged with breaking into Smith’s family dealership in Johnson City, Tennessee and stealing, among other things, a CBR1000RR belonging to former racer Jason Lewis, a Patrol Officer working for the Johnson City Police Department.

Reached by phone, Lewis told Roadracingworld.com that the theft involved “in excess of $115,000 in merchandise,” that Perry had been arrested on suspicion of burglary and that he had “bonded out on $16,000 bond.”

Lewis said that his own bike had been recovered “in about five different boxes.”