Jack Smith (American racing driver, born 1924)

Jack Thomas Smith (May 24, 1924 – October 17, 2001) was an American stock car racer. He raced in the first NASCAR race, in 1949, and is a member of the NMPA Hall of Fame in Darlington, South Carolina.

This article is about the American racing driver from Georgia. For the Australian driver, see Jack Smith (Australian racing driver). For the American racing driver from Ohio, see Jack Smith (American racing driver, born 1973).
Jack Smith
Born(1924-05-24)May 24, 1924
Metropolis, Illinois, U.S.
DiedOctober 17, 2001(2001-10-17) (aged 77)
Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S.
Cause of deathCongestive heart failure
AwardsInducted in the National Motorsports Press Hall of Fame
Inducted in the Daytona Beach Hall of Fame
1959 NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award
Inducted in the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in 2002
NASCAR Cup Series career
264 races run over 15 years
Best finish4th (1962)
First race1949 Race No. 1 (Charlotte)
Last race1964 Sunshine 200 (Savannah)
First win1956 Old Dominion 400 (Martinsville)
Last win1962 untitled race (New Ashville)
Wins Top tens Poles
21 142 23
NASCAR Convertible Division career
16 races run over 4 years
Best finish33rd (1957)
First race1956 Race No. 39 (Atlanta)
Last race1959 Race No. 14 (Greenville-Pickens)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 7 0

Biography

Smith was born in Metropolis, Illinois and then moved to Georgia when he was two years old, settling in Roswell, Georgia. Jack got his start in the automotive industry by working in his father shop at a young age. Jack worked at a service station in the 1940's near Roswell. He began racing against local bootleggers on rough dirt tracks and asphalt superspeedways, and across fields. He began racing in 1947 after building a car.[1]

He made his debut in NASCAR's first race, in 1949 at the Charlotte Speedway, and finished 13th. At the 1958 Southern 500 at Darlington, Jack trailed a car blowing up and getting caught in the oil, his car started tumble, flipping his car five times and rolling into the parking lot, after a doctor checked him out, he came out un-injured and drove home that night.[1] He won the NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award in 1959; although he tied Junior Johnson in the initial voting, a second ballot was opened that Smith won.[2] Jack was known in his early days to run mainly Pontiac's. As a result during a time when teams started to get a stranglehold in the sport, engineer Ray Nichols approached Jack to run his car in select races in 1960.

In the 1960s, he and team owner Bud Moore became the first to communicate in a race via two-way radio.[1] Smith was known for his racing superstitions of no green cars among other things. After his racing career ended, he focused on his transmission business, He died from congestive heart failure on October 17, 2001.[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. ** – All laps led.)

Grand National Series
NASCAR Grand National 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 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 NGNC Pts Ref
1949 Bishop Brothers 52 Ford CLT
13		 DAB HBO LAN HAM MAR HEI NWS 58th 12 [3]
1950 25 Olds DAB
27		 CLT LAN MAR CAN VER DSP MCF CLT HBO DSP HAM 32nd 180 [4]
19 Olds DAR
29		 LAN
Bishop Brothers Plymouth NWS
2		 VER MAR WIN HBO
1951 Hubert Westmoreland 2-B Plymouth DAB
29		 CLT NMO GAR HBO ASF NWS MAR CAN CLS CLB DSP GAR GRS BAI HEI 39th 360.5 [5]
98 Plymouth AWS
13		 MCF ALS
B. J. Dantone 44 Plymouth MSF
37		 FMS MOR ABS
Wally Marks 57 Olds DAR
48		 CLB CCS LAN CLT DSP WIL HBO TPN PGS MAR OAK NWS HMS
Jack Smith 44 Hudson JSP
2		 NMO
22
44X ATL
3		 GAR
1952 44 PBS
20		 34th 729 [6]
Harold Mays 77 Chrysler DAB
31		 JSP NWS MAR CLB
9
Perry Smith 23 Studebaker ATL
19		 CCS
16*		 LAN
8 Studebaker DAR
17		 DSP CAN HAY FMS HBO CLT MSF NIF OSW MON MOR PPS MCF AWS
Ted Chester 9 Hudson DAR
11		 CCS LAN DSP WIL HBO MAR NWS
Walt Chapman 120 Hudson ATL
6		 PBS
1954 Jack Smith 122 Olds PBS DAB
6		 JSP ATL
24		 OSP
19		 OAK NWS HBO CCS
22		 LAN WIL MAR SHA RSP CLT GAR CLB 64th 376 [7]
14 Plymouth LND
23		 HCY MCF WGS PIF AWS SFS GRS
141 Ford MOR
17		 OAK CLT SAN COR DAR CCS CLT LAN MAS MAR NWS
1955 1 Chevy TCS PBS JSP DAB OSP CLB HBO NWS MGY LAN CLT HCY ASF TUS MAR RCH NCF FOR LIN MCF FON AIR CLT PIF CLB AWS MOR ALS NYF SAN CLT FOR MAS RSP DAR
DNQ		 MGY
6		 LAN RSP GPS
8		 MAS CLB MAR LVP NWS HBO 141st – [8]
1956 Joe Jones 999 Ford HCY CLT WSS PBS ASF DAB
70		 PBS
23		 WIL
14		 ATL NWS LAN RCH CLB CON GPS HCY HBO 21st 2320 [9]
Ted Chester 91 Chevy MAR
9		 LIN MAS
10		 CLT MCF POR AWS
29		 RSP
10		 PIF CSF CHI CCF MGY
7		 OKL ROA OBS SAN NOR PIF MYB POR DAR
27		 CSH
11		 CLT LAN POR CLB HBO NWP CLT
A. L. Bumgarner 55 Pontiac CLT
9		 POR EUR NYF MER
DePaolo Engineering 296 Ford CCF
18
Carl Kiekhaefer 502 Dodge MAR
1*
500 HCY
18		 WIL
14
1957 Ted Chester 610 Chevy WSS CON
20		 TIC 5th 8464 [10]
Hugh Babb 47 Chevy DAB
34		 CON
1*		 WIL
10		 HBO
3		 AWS
4		 NWS
18		 LAN
7		 CLT
15		 PIF
12		 GBF
2		 POR CCF
5		 RCH
14		 MAR
6		 POR EUR LIN
6		 LCS
6		 ASP
Jack Smith NWP
4		 CLB
1		 CPS PIF
5		 JAC
5		 RSP
17		 CLT
13*		 MAS
13*		 POR HCY
1		 NOR
5		 LCS
12		 GLN KPC LIN
18		 OBS
5		 MYB
8		 DAR
10		 NYF
17		 AWS
5		 CSF SCF LAN
38		 CLB
13		 CCF CLT
9		 MAR
7		 NBR
3		 CON
5		 NWS
1		 GBF
4
1958 FAY
7*		 CON
6		 FAY
25		 WIL
4		 HBO
12		 FAY
27		 CLB
2		 PIF
2		 ATL
13		 CLT
2		 ODS
2		 OBS
6		 GPS
1		 GBF
19		 STR
8		 NWS
2		 TRN
33		 CLB
6*		 NBS
4		 REF
21		 LIN
20		 HCY
4		 AWS
25		 MCC
5		 SLS TOR BUF MCF
17		 BEL
5		 BRR
1**		 CLB NSV
8		 BIR
12		 CSF GAF RCH HBO SAS 5th 7666 [11]
Pontiac DAB
3		 MAR
21		 RSD
3		 RSP
32		 DAR
31		 CLT
48 Chevy BGS
22
Shorty Rollins 99 Ford AWS
31		 BGS MBS
Gene White 25 Chevy MAR
13
Buck Baker Racing 86 Chevy NWS
5
8 Chevy ATL
28
1959 Jack Smith 47 Chevy FAY DAY
27		 DAY
7*		 HBO CON ATL
21		 WIL BGS CLB
1		 NWS
2		 REF HCY MAR TRN CLT
10		 NSV ASP PIF
1		 GPS
20		 ATL
7		 CLB WIL RCH BGS AWS DAY
4		 HEI CLT
1		 MBS CLT NSV AWS
3		 BGS DAR
28		 HCY
13		 RCH
16		 CSF HBO
16*		 MAR
29		 AWS
3		 NWS
11		 CON
1*		 8th 6150 [12]
Gerald Duke 92 Ford GPS
4		 CLB
1960 Jack Smith 47 Chevy CLT
1		 CLB
2		 DAY 14th 6944 [13]
Pontiac DAY
1**		 DAY
23		 CLT NWS PHO CLB MAR
DNQ		 HCY WIL BGS GPS AWS
17		 DAR PIF
18		 HBO
3		 RCH HMS CLT
12*		 BGS DAY
1*		 HEI MAB MBS ATL
3		 BIR NSV AWS
5		 PIF CLB SBO BGS DAR HCY CSF GSP HBO MAR NWS CLT
44		 RCH ATL
26
1961 CLT JSP DAY
3		 DAY DAY
6		 PIF AWS HMS ATL
21		 GPS
19		 HBO BGS MAR NWS CLB
21		 HCY
13		 RCH MAR DAR CLT PIF
9		 GPS
1		 BGS NOR HAS
2		 STR CLB
18		 MBS
20		 AWS
9		 RCH SBO DAR HCY
2		 RCH CSF ATL
4		 MAR CLT
37		 7th 15186 [14]
46 CLT
3		 RSD ASP CLT
7		 BIR
3		 DAY
3		 ATL
5		 BRI
1*		 NSV
15		 BGS NWS
24		 BRI
21		 GPS
14		 HBO
1962 CON
1*		 AWS
4		 4th 22870 [15]
47 DAY
2		 DAY DAY
4		 CON
4		 AWS
5		 SVH
1*		 HBO
4		 RCH
14		 CLB
3		 NWS
9		 GPS
13		 MBS
1		 MAR
7		 BGS
2		 BRI
3		 RCH
2		 HCY
1**		 CON
4		 DAR
4		 PIF
7		 CLT
24		 ATL
13		 BGS
10		 AUG
12		 RCH
8		 SBO
2*		 DAY
4		 CLB
3		 ASH
1*		 GPS
2		 AUG
14		 SVH
18		 MBS
3		 BRI
21		 CHT
10		 NSV
18		 HUN
6		 AWS
5		 STR
5		 BGS
2*		 PIF
3		 VAL
11		 DAR
34		 HCY
23		 RCH
29		 DTS AUG
12		 MAR
4		 NWS
13		 CLT
24
17 ATL
9
1963 47 BIR
6		 GGS THS RSD 24th 8218 [16]
Chrysler DAY
25		 DAY DAY
44		 PIF AWS HBO
Plymouth ATL
29		 HCY
21		 BRI
29		 AUG RCH
12		 GPS SBO BGS MAR
10		 NWS
10		 CLB
5		 THS DAR ODS RCH CLT
41		 BIR
5		 ATL
24		 DAY
32		 MBS BRI
24		 AWS
6		 PIF BGS ONA
17		 DAR HCY
19		 RCH
12		 MAR
9		 DTS NWS
24		 THS CLT
15		 SBO
21		 HBO RSD
6
48 SVH
4		 DTS BGS
5		 ASH
14		 OBS BRR CLB
7
Dodge GPS
20		 NSV
1964 Plymouth CON
21		 81st 932 [17]
Archie Smith 47 AUG
32		 JSP
3		 SVH
2		 RSD DAY DAY DAY RCH BRI GPS BGS ATL AWS HBO PIF CLB NWS MAR SVH DAR LGY HCY SBO CLT GPS ASH ATL CON NSV CHT BIR VAL PIF DAY ODS OBS BRR ISP GLN LIN BRI NSV MBS AWS DTS ONA CLB BGS STR DAR HCY RCH ODS HBO MAR SVH NWS CLT HAR AUG JAC
Daytona 500
Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish
1959 Jack Smith Chevrolet 41 7
1960 2 23
1961 Pontiac 5 6
1962 3 4
1963 Chrysler 38 44

Convertible Division
NASCAR Convertible Division 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 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 NCC Pts Ref
1956 Schwam Motors 99 Ford DAB CLT HBO FAY PCH MGY HCY LCS GBF OBS RSP LAN STR CLB LKS TUL TFT KSF MOF NOR WIL CHI FRS NYF TOR BUF BEL LIN FWS BGS CLB HCY CLT FRS MCF HEI RSP GPS ATL
23		 MCC CHI MAS CCF MAR PIF AWS HBO – – [18]
1957 Hugh Babb 46 Chevy JAC DAB FAY GBF ODS HBO RCH GPS WIL HCY
3		 BGS NOR LAN DAR
6		 CLT MCC PIF NYF OBS AWS 33rd 976 [19]
Bob Welborn 8 Chevy PCH
2		 MCF BGS CON PHI CHI CLB
Jack Smith 46 Chevy RSP
30		 NOR
14		 MAR
5		 FAY CLT NWS NOR WIL CLB
1958 47 Pontiac DAB NWS RCH BGS AWS HCY CLB WIL DAR
8		 39th 588 [20]
Wood Brothers Racing 21 Ford CLT
20		 ATL MAR BIR CLB GPS MBS CLT WIL SAS
1959 Bud Moore Engineering 47 Chevy DAY FAY RCH HCY MRL CLT
28		 HBO
2		 DAR
30		 CLB
28		 AWS
24		 BGS MAR CLB
2		 GPS
12		 CLT 44th 552 [21]

References
  1. Winston, Chris (October 19, 2001). "Local racing legend dies JACK SMITH: Hall of Famer won 21 NASCAR races Smith's 21 wins rank 24th all-time". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  2. "Jack Smith NASCAR's Most Popular Driver". Johnson City Press. AP. January 19, 1959. Retrieved January 17, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Jack Smith – 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  4. "Jack Smith – 1950 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  5. "Jack Smith – 1951 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  6. "Jack Smith – 1952 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  7. "Jack Smith – 1954 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  8. "Jack Smith – 1955 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  9. "Jack Smith – 1956 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  10. "Jack Smith – 1957 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  11. "Jack Smith – 1958 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  12. "Jack Smith – 1959 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  13. "Jack Smith – 1960 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  14. "Jack Smith – 1961 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  15. "Jack Smith – 1962 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  16. "Jack Smith – 1963 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  17. "Jack Smith – 1964 NASCAR Grand National Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  18. "Jack Smith – 1956 NASCAR Convertible Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  19. "Jack Smith – 1957 NASCAR Convertible Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  20. "Jack Smith – 1958 NASCAR Convertible Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  21. "Jack Smith – 1959 NASCAR Convertible Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
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