diff --git a/FastSimulation/TrackingRecHitProducer/src/PixelTemplateSmearerBase.cc b/FastSimulation/TrackingRecHitProducer/src/PixelTemplateSmearerBase.cc
index 8e87bafd46755..05da855c5ecb4 100644
--- a/FastSimulation/TrackingRecHitProducer/src/PixelTemplateSmearerBase.cc
+++ b/FastSimulation/TrackingRecHitProducer/src/PixelTemplateSmearerBase.cc
@@ -343,14 +343,13 @@ FastSingleTrackerRecHit PixelTemplateSmearerBase::smearHit(const PSimHit& simHit
                        << "   cotalpha=" << cotalpha << ",  cotbeta=" << cotbeta;
 
   const PixelTopology* theSpecificTopology = &(detUnit->specificType().specificTopology());
-  const RectangularPixelTopology* rectPixelTopology = static_cast<const RectangularPixelTopology*>(theSpecificTopology);
 
   const int nrows = theSpecificTopology->nrows();
   const int ncolumns = theSpecificTopology->ncolumns();
 
   const Local3DPoint lp = simHit.localPosition();
   //Transform local position to measurement position
-  const MeasurementPoint mp = rectPixelTopology->measurementPosition(lp);
+  const MeasurementPoint mp = theSpecificTopology->measurementPosition(lp);
   float mpy = mp.y();
   float mpx = mp.x();
   //Get the center of the struck pixel in measurement position
@@ -359,7 +358,7 @@ FastSingleTrackerRecHit PixelTemplateSmearerBase::smearHit(const PSimHit& simHit
 
   const MeasurementPoint mpCenter(pixelCenterX, pixelCenterY);
   //Transform the center of the struck pixel back into local position
-  const Local3DPoint lpCenter = rectPixelTopology->localPosition(mpCenter);
+  const Local3DPoint lpCenter = theSpecificTopology->localPosition(mpCenter);
 
   //Get the relative position of struck point to the center of the struck pixel
   float xtrk = lp.x() - lpCenter.x();
@@ -408,8 +407,8 @@ FastSingleTrackerRecHit PixelTemplateSmearerBase::smearHit(const PSimHit& simHit
 
   double xsizeProbability = random->flatShoot();
   double ysizeProbability = random->flatShoot();
-  bool hitbigx = rectPixelTopology->isItBigPixelInX((int)mpx);  // pixel we hit in x
-  bool hitbigy = rectPixelTopology->isItBigPixelInY((int)mpy);  // pixel we hit in y
+  bool hitbigx = theSpecificTopology->isItBigPixelInX((int)mpx);  // pixel we hit in x
+  bool hitbigy = theSpecificTopology->isItBigPixelInY((int)mpy);  // pixel we hit in y
 
   if (hitbigx)
     if (xsizeProbability < nx2_frac)
@@ -521,14 +520,14 @@ FastSingleTrackerRecHit PixelTemplateSmearerBase::smearHit(const PSimHit& simHit
   lastPixelInX = (lastPixelInX < nrows) ? lastPixelInX : nrows - 1;
   lastPixelInY = (lastPixelInY < ncolumns) ? lastPixelInY : ncolumns - 1;
 
-  edgex = rectPixelTopology->isItEdgePixelInX(firstPixelInX) || rectPixelTopology->isItEdgePixelInX(lastPixelInX);
-  edgey = rectPixelTopology->isItEdgePixelInY(firstPixelInY) || rectPixelTopology->isItEdgePixelInY(lastPixelInY);
+  edgex = theSpecificTopology->isItEdgePixelInX(firstPixelInX) || theSpecificTopology->isItEdgePixelInX(lastPixelInX);
+  edgey = theSpecificTopology->isItEdgePixelInY(firstPixelInY) || theSpecificTopology->isItEdgePixelInY(lastPixelInY);
   edge = edgex || edgey;
 
-  //  bigx = rectPixelTopology->isItBigPixelInX( firstPixelInX ) || rectPixelTopology->isItBigPixelInX( lastPixelInX );
-  //  bigy = rectPixelTopology->isItBigPixelInY( firstPixelInY ) || rectPixelTopology->isItBigPixelInY( lastPixelInY );
-  bool hasBigPixelInX = rectPixelTopology->containsBigPixelInX(firstPixelInX, lastPixelInX);
-  bool hasBigPixelInY = rectPixelTopology->containsBigPixelInY(firstPixelInY, lastPixelInY);
+  //  bigx = theSpecificTopology->isItBigPixelInX( firstPixelInX ) || theSpecificTopology->isItBigPixelInX( lastPixelInX );
+  //  bigy = theSpecificTopology->isItBigPixelInY( firstPixelInY ) || theSpecificTopology->isItBigPixelInY( lastPixelInY );
+  bool hasBigPixelInX = theSpecificTopology->containsBigPixelInX(firstPixelInX, lastPixelInX);
+  bool hasBigPixelInY = theSpecificTopology->containsBigPixelInY(firstPixelInY, lastPixelInY);
 
   //Variables for SiPixelTemplate pixel hit error output
   float sigmay, sigmax, sy1, sy2, sx1, sx2;