Stanley Smith (racing driver)

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.

Stanley Smith
Born	(1949-09-29)September 29, 1949 Chelsea, Alabama
Died	December 9, 2020(2020-12-09) (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)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
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)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0

Racing career

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]

Smith (No. 49) and Jimmy Horton (No. 32) wreck at Talladega in 1993.

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

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

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series

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

Year	Team	Manufacturer	Start	Finish	Ref
1992	BS&S Motorsports	Chevrolet	30	22	[20]
1993	Barkdoll Racing	Chevrolet	DNQ		[21]

Busch Series

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

(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
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

1. "Stanley Smith Obituary". The Birmingham News. December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
2. Desmond, Bill (April 14, 2001). "SES: Nashville race report". Motorsport.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
3. Higgins, Tom (July 30, 1990). "4 Hurt in Pit Road Accident". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
4. 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.
5. "Interstate Batteries: Celebrating 65 Years at Hometown Race". Speedway Digest. April 3, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
6. "Waltrip tops second-day qualifying". Tampa Bay Times. August 8, 1991.
7. 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.
8. Downey, Mike (July 26, 1993). "Tragedy Returns to Track". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
9. 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.
10. Pearce, Al (July 26, 1993). "Journeyman Driver Crashes at Talladega". Daily Press. Hampton Roads, VA. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
11. "Year After Wreck, He's Still On Mend". Greensboro News & Record. July 21, 1994.
12. Ingram, Jonthan (October 31, 2009). "Time Machine: New Fences Not New At Talladega". Racin' Today. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
13. Zeller, Bob (December 27, 1994). "The Year in NASCAR, Daytona to Atlanta via Indy: A Time of Triumph, Tragedy". The Virginian-Pilot.
14. "DASH: Kentucky Speedway Fall Classic summary". Motorsport.com. September 19, 2004. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020.
15. "2008 Snowball Derby". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
16. "Stanley Smith – 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
17. "Stanley Smith – 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
18. "Stanley Smith – 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
19. "Stanley Smith – 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
20. "1992 Daytona 500 By STP". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
21. "1993 Daytona 500 By STP". Racing-Reference. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
22. "Stanley Smith – 1990 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
23. "Stanley Smith – 1992 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
24. "Stanley Smith – 1991 ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2017.

External links

• Stanley Smith driver statistics at Racing-Reference
• Stanley Smith driver statistics at The Third Turn