DAVID SMITH 2011 INDUCTEE

David Smith got his start in auto racing in the mid 1960’s hanging around Digger O’Dell’s shop after school. As he could at times be a nuisance, he was often asked to do any dirty job that was required, one of his first tasks being to clean out Harvey Chipper’s tool box.

He got his first track experience at Western Speedway in 1967 when he became a crew member on a 1955 Chev Stockcar that Harvey built which was driven by Roy Haslam. The following season, they fielded another ’55 Chevy with Roy again behind the wheel, this one for the new Super Stock class. Gary Kershaw was their driver in 1969 in yet another 1955 Chev and the following year they built a ’65 Chevelle in a one bay shop on Atkins Road in Langford which they raced in Open Competition and NASCAR Sportsman events which included an entry in Riverside California’s Permatex 200 where David suffered burns while refuelling the car during a pit stop. Returning the following year they had much better success with Gary winning the race.

David’s racing journey then came to a violent but temporary halt three months later when, while on their way to a Thursday night track practice session, he and Harvey were hit broadside by another car which put David in the hospital and resulted in a lengthy recovery. But he put this downtime to excellent use by reading all the literature on racecar chassis technology and design that he could get his hands on. This experience clearly changed his life and he was ready to take on the racecar world with a new focus which included his going to the southern US to work with highly-respected NASCAR chassis expert Ralph Moody and a short time later he returned to his home in Sidney to hone his skills.

Along with Harvey, Jim Tweedhope and countless others he continued to build racecars. He assisted with the 1965 Chevelle in which Gary Kershaw won twenty-one Super Stock main events in a row at Western during the 1974 season. He then worked with Roy Smith which resulted in a Winston West Championship and also setting a track record with a Camaro at the Mainland’s Westwood road course. In 1983, a Smith-prepared car entered the NASCAR Riverside 500 and qualified sixth alongside Bill Elliott who won the race. David’s cars had many track records and wins across the Pacific Northwest. Car owners he worked with included Dick Midgley, John Edgett, John Woods, Rich Graham, Bill Zebiak and Bob Beadle with drivers like Herschel McGriff, Janet Guthrie, Moe Willits, Rick O’Dell, George Stuart, Harvey Brown and Rockie Collins.

He started “Professional Components” which fabricated racecar parts, Zodiak boats and ambulances as well as Scoremaster products which includes the “Shockwave” line of high performance seats and chassis for off-shore boats.

David is still very actively involved in auto racing to this day and is currently competing as a driver in ARCA (Automobile Racing Club of America) events at various western US tracks.