Stevie Smith A Cut Above The Others
Story By: JEREMY ELLIOTT / PENN LIVE.COM
Photos By: DAVE DALESANDRO / RACERSGUIDE.COM
Mechanicsburg Pa.- October 1, 2016- After 33 years of success in racing you knew there was something special about Stevie Smith when he first climbed behind the wheel of a Sprint Car as a teenager.
It was 33 years ago. When I first saw him, I knew he was different. As the son of Sprint Car legend Steve Smith, he was brought up around racing. You kind of expected him to be taught well.
Still, Smith was a cut above. He was controlled. Purpose and common sense always outweighed adrenaline and impulse. That’s why I was never surprised by the success he had in his career.
I started to think about Smith’s early years — his four victories as a rookie in 1984 — and his career after watching him win the Dirt Classic at Lincoln Speedway last week. It’s impressive, and now that he has turned 50 and is eligible for the Sprint Car Hall of Fame, it’s a no brainer.
Smith should not only be nominated; he should be a first-ballot slam dunk to join the best drivers in history.
Induction into any hall of fame is tricky. There are no set parameters as far as qualifications — aside from age or service — and whether an athlete is worthy is in the eye of the voting beholder.
When considering someone for such an honor in racing, a variety of categories come to mind for me. The biggies are number of wins overall, competition, big-race performance and series and track championships.
In the case of Smith, there should be no doubt. Not with a resume that is jam-packed with accomplishments from coast to coast.
Smith has amassed 222 victories in his stellar career. But wins in one area hardly make a driver worthy. There needs to be a little more.
That’s not a problem for Smith. He has 70 wins traveling around the country with the World of Outlaws. It’s an impressive number when you consider it was in the same era in which Steve Kinser and Sammy Swindell were dominating.
