Jack Smith (American racing driver, born 1924)

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 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.

Jack Smith
Born	(1924-05-24)May 24, 1924 Metropolis, Illinois, U.S.
Died	October 17, 2001(2001-10-17) (aged 77) Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S.
Cause of death	Congestive heart failure
Awards	Inducted 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 finish	4th (1962)
First race	1949 Race No. 1 (Charlotte)
Last race	1964 Sunshine 200 (Savannah)
First win	1956 Old Dominion 400 (Martinsville)
Last win	1962 untitled race (New Ashville)
Wins Top tens Poles 21 142 23
NASCAR Convertible Division career
16 races run over 4 years
Best finish	33rd (1957)
First race	1956 Race No. 39 (Atlanta)
Last race	1959 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.

External links

• Jack Smith driver statistics at Racing-Reference