Stanley Smith (racing driver)
Stanley Smith | |||||||
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Born | Chelsea, Alabama | September 29, 1949||||||
Died | December 9, 2020 | (aged 71)||||||
NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
28 races run over 4 years | |||||||
Best finish | 35th (1992) | ||||||
First race | 1990 DieHard 500 (Talladega) | ||||||
Last race | 1993 DieHard 500 (Talladega) | ||||||
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NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
4 races run over 2 years | |||||||
Best finish | 78th (1990) | ||||||
First race | 1990 All Pro 300 (Charlotte) | ||||||
Last race | 1992 SplitFire 200 (Dover) | ||||||
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Stanley Smith (September 29, 1949 – December 9, 2020) was an American stock car racing driver and dirt-track racer, who competed in 28 NASCAR Winston Cup Series races between 1990 and 1993.
Racing career
[edit]Smith started his racing career in 1972.[1] In 1989 he won the 1989 NASCAR All-American Challenge Series championship.[2] Smith qualified twelfth for his first Winston Cup Series start at the 1990 DieHard 500 at Talladega Superspeedway;[1] during the race he was involved in a pit road mishap when he lost control of his car and hit several crew members for Tracy Leslie's team. No one was seriously injured.[3]
In 1991, Chad Knaus entered NASCAR competition as a crew member for Smith's team;[4] Smith also introduced Interstate Batteries into NASCAR as a sponsor before the company moved to Joe Gibbs Racing.[5] In addition to making limited Winston Cup Series starts, Smith also drove in the Busch Grand National Series, making four starts between 1991 and 1992; he also scored a victory at Michigan International Speedway in his lone start in the ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series in 1991.[1][6]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/21/Stanley_Smith_and_Jimmy_Horton_wreck_in_1993_DieHard_500.png/220px-Stanley_Smith_and_Jimmy_Horton_wreck_in_1993_DieHard_500.png)
At the 1993 DieHard 500 at Talladega, Smith was involved in a multi-car accident that saw fellow competitor Jimmy Horton flip over the track's retaining wall and roll down the embankment outside the track.[7] The multi-car crash happened on lap 70 when Smith clipped Horton's car; Horton then hit three other cars before launching over the wall.[8] Smith hit the wall almost head-on, suffering a basilar skull fracture and massive blood loss;[9] his driver's suit, which was white before the race, was soaked in blood as he was rushed to Caraway Methodist Medical Center in critical condition.[10] Smith was unconscious for ten days following the accident;[9] during his recovery he underwent multiple surgeries,[11] and the left side of his face was left paralyzed from nerve damage.[9]
As a result of this and other wrecks, Talladega installed catch fencing along the entire track, not just where spectator stands were present;[12] in addition, following the 1993 season NASCAR mandated cars be fitted with roof flaps in an attempt to stop flips during accidents.[13]
While he would never race in the Winston Cup Series again, Smith would return to competition in regional racing in 1995.[9] In 2000 he won Five Flags Speedway's Snowflake 100;[1] in 2004, at the age of 54, he won a NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southeast Series event at Kentucky Speedway.[14] Smith's final racing start came at the 2008 Snowball Derby; he would crash after 120 laps, finishing 33rd.[15]
Personal life
[edit]Smith was born on September 29, 1949, in Birmingham, Alabama.[1] Outside of racing he worked in the drywall industry operating Stanley Smith Drywall Inc. (still in operation as of August, 2022) which helped to fund his racing career.[1] He was married and had three children.[1]
Smith died of interstitial pneumonia on December 9, 2020, at age 71. Smith had been battling the disease since September.[1]
Motorsports career results
[edit]NASCAR
[edit](key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Winston Cup Series
[edit]NASCAR Winston Cup Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | NWCC | Pts | Ref | ||||||||
1990 | BS&S Motorsports | 49 | Pontiac | DAY | RCH | CAR | ATL | DAR | BRI | NWS | MAR | TAL Wth† | CLT | DOV | SON | POC | MCH | DAY | POC | 98th | 52 | [16] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Tri-Star Motorsports | 68 | Pontiac | TAL 37 | GLN | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | PHO | ATL | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1991 | BS&S Motorsports | 49 | Buick | DAY | RCH | CAR 37 | ATL DNQ | DAR | BRI | NWS | MAR | TAL 21 | CLT 36 | DOV | SON 23 | POC | MCH 23 | DAY 40 | POC | TAL 31 | GLN | MCH 40 | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV 22 | MAR | NWS | CLT 22 | CAR | PHO 36 | ATL 25 | 36th | 893 | [17] | |||||||||
1992 | Chevy | DAY 22 | CAR 32 | RCH 27 | ATL 32 | DAR DNQ | BRI | NWS | MAR | TAL 33 | CLT 30 | DOV | SON | POC | MCH 40 | DAY 22 | POC | TAL 27 | GLN | MCH 35 | BRI | DAR | RCH 34 | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT 36 | CAR | PHO 32 | ATL 39 | 35th | 959 | [18] | |||||||||||
1993 | Barkdoll Racing | 73 | Chevy | DAY DNQ | 89th | 43 | [19] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BS&S Motorsports | 49 | Chevy | CAR DNQ | RCH | ATL | DAR | BRI | NWS DNQ | MAR | TAL DNQ | SON | CLT DNQ | DOV | POC | MCH | DAY DNQ | NHA | POC | TAL 40 | GLN | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | PHO | ATL | |||||||||||||
† - Withdrew after practice crash |
Daytona 500
[edit]Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | BS&S Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30 | 22 | [20] |
1993 | Barkdoll Racing | Chevrolet | DNQ | [21] |
Busch Series
[edit]NASCAR Busch Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | NBSC | Pts | Ref | ||||
1990 | BS&S Motorsports | 94 | Buick | DAY | RCH | CAR | MAR | HCY | DAR | BRI | LAN | SBO | NZH | HCY | CLT | DOV DNQ | ROU | VOL | MYB | OXF | NHA | SBO | DUB | IRP | ROU | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | CLT 20 | NHA | CAR 37 | MAR | 78th | 155 | [22] | ||||
1992 | Laughlin Racing | 45 | Chevy | DAY | CAR | RCH | ATL | MAR | DAR | BRI | HCY | LAN | DUB | NZH | CLT | DOV | ROU | MYB | GLN | VOL | NHA | TAL 19 | IRP | ROU | MCH | NHA | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV 26 | CLT | MAR | CAR | HCY | 79th | 191 | [23] |
ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series
[edit](key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | APSC | Pts | Ref | ||||||||||||||||||
1991 | Folsom Racing | 11 | Buick | DAY | ATL | KIL | TAL | TOL | FRS | POC | MCH | KIL | FRS | DEL | POC | TAL | HPT | MCH 1* | ISF | TOL | DSF | TWS | ATL | 148th | - | [24] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h "Stanley Smith Obituary". The Birmingham News. December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ Desmond, Bill (April 14, 2001). "SES: Nashville race report". Motorsport.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ Higgins, Tom (July 30, 1990). "4 Hurt in Pit Road Accident". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ Long, Dustin (March 26, 2006). "Crew chief Chad Knaus has made a career of pushing the limits until they push back". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ "Interstate Batteries: Celebrating 65 Years at Hometown Race". Speedway Digest. April 3, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ "Waltrip tops second-day qualifying". Tampa Bay Times. August 8, 1991.
- ^ Martin, Bruce (July 25, 1993). "NASCAR driver in very critical condition after crash". UPI. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ Downey, Mike (July 26, 1993). "Tragedy Returns to Track". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Zenor, John (June 9, 2001). "Former Winston Cup driver Smith leaves horrid accident in past". Arizona Daily Sun. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ Pearce, Al (July 26, 1993). "Journeyman Driver Crashes at Talladega". Daily Press. Hampton Roads, VA. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ "Year After Wreck, He's Still On Mend". Greensboro News & Record. July 21, 1994.
- ^ Ingram, Jonthan (October 31, 2009). "Time Machine: New Fences Not New At Talladega". Racin' Today. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ Zeller, Bob (December 27, 1994). "The Year in NASCAR, Daytona to Atlanta via Indy: A Time of Triumph, Tragedy". The Virginian-Pilot.
- ^ "DASH: Kentucky Speedway Fall Classic summary". Motorsport.com. September 19, 2004. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020.
- ^ "2008 Snowball Derby". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ "Stanley Smith – 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
- ^ "Stanley Smith – 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
- ^ "Stanley Smith – 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
- ^ "Stanley Smith – 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
- ^ "1992 Daytona 500 By STP". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ "1993 Daytona 500 By STP". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ "Stanley Smith – 1990 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
- ^ "Stanley Smith – 1992 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
- ^ "Stanley Smith – 1991 ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
External links
[edit]- Stanley Smith driver statistics at Racing-Reference
- Stanley Smith driver statistics at The Third Turn