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Stanley Smith (racing driver)

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Stanley Smith
Born(1949-09-29)September 29, 1949
Chelsea, Alabama
DiedDecember 9, 2020(2020-12-09) (aged 71)
NASCAR Cup Series career
28 races run over 4 years
Best finish35th (1992)
First race1990 DieHard 500 (Talladega)
Last race1993 DieHard 500 (Talladega)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
4 races run over 2 years
Best finish78th (1990)
First race1990 All Pro 300 (Charlotte)
Last race1992 SplitFire 200 (Dover)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0

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

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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

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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

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NASCAR

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

Winston Cup Series

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

Busch Series

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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

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(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

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "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. ^ 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.
  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.
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