Curtis Smith (drag racer)

Last updated
Curtis Smith
Curtis Smith.jpg
Born Clinton, NC
NHRA IHRA career
Debut season1970
Current teamCurtis Smith Racing
Car number2953, 9953
Engine Chevrolet
Crew chiefEugene "Pop" Carlsward
Championships1
Wins17
Best finish1 in 1996
Championship titles
1996IHRA Stock Eliminator
Awards
North Carolina Drag Racing Hall of Fame, East Coast Drag Racing Hall of Fame, Sampson County Sports Hall of Fame

Curtis Smith is a second-generation American semi-retired drag racer. He is currently the All Time Winningest IHRA Stock Eliminator driver and the 1996 IHRA Stock World Champion. [1] Smith was the first IHRA Sportsman driver to win 3 national events in a row in 1985.

Contents

Smith started his national racing career in the early 1970s, driving his self-built 1969 "Rag Top" Chevrolet Camaro J/Stocker. Smith notably finished second in his first IHRA National Event at Rockingham Dragway. Smith, best known for driving his "Hot Stuff" 1967 Chevy Camaro, has won 17 IHRA and NHRA national events in his career and 31 IHRA and NHRA class wins, making him one of the most successful sportsman Drag racing drivers in the history of the sport.

In 2012, Smith was inducted into the North Carolina Drag Racing Hall of Fame. Two years later, Smith, along with fellow racer, Rick Hendrick was inducted into the East Coast Drag Racing Hall of Fame. Later that year, Smith was also honored with being inducted into the Sampson County Sports Hall of Fame.

Early life

Curtis Smith was born in Clinton, North Carolina. His father, Earl, was a notable drag racer, racing with Chevrolet from 1957 to his retirement in 2003. Smith attended races with his father from a young age, often getting the chance to warm his father's race cars up before the races. [2] The first race car that the young Smith drove down the race track was his father, Earl, and "Junior" Lundy's 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air "Bubble Top" 409 4-Speed NHRA Stocker. [3]

Racing career

1970s–1980s

Following his father's footsteps, Curtis built his own race cars and racing engines from an early age. Like his father, Smith raced the Chevrolet brand. Smith scored second place in his first IHRA National Event, and won his first national event in 1982. Smith quickly hit the ground running and won a national race every year from '82-'87. In 1984, Smith won the prestigious NHRA Summer Nationals held at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey.

Curtis Smith at Rockingham Dragway, early 1980s Curtis Smith Rockingham.jpg
Curtis Smith at Rockingham Dragway, early 1980s

In 1985, Smith made IHRA history, winning the first three national races of the season, becoming the first IHRA Sportsman driver to do so. In 1986 and 1987, Smith won back-to-back IHRA U.S. Open Nationals. In 1990, Curtis would continue his success at Rockingham Dragway, winning his fifth national race at the track since 1982, bringing home the NHRA Winston Invitational win.

1990s

Smith started off the 1990s with fast success, winning two IHRA races and one NHRA race during 1990. In 1990 at Darlington, South Carolina during the IHRA Winter Nationals, Curtis squared off with his father, Earl, in the final round of the event. The All Smith final round would be the first of three different meetings between the Smith father and son during the final round of an IHRA national event.

3 Generations picture taken of the Smith family in 1996 Curtis Smith 3 Generations.jpg
3 Generations picture taken of the Smith family in 1996

From 1990-1995, Smith enjoyed vast amounts of success at Bristol Dragway, winning the IHRA Fall Nationals event four times. In 1996, Smith won the IHRA Winter Nationals for a fourth time, earning him the nickname "Mr. Winter Nationals." That victory at Darlington, and another later in the year at Maryland International Dragway, propelled Smith to the IHRA Stock Eliminator World Championship at the end of 1996. In 1997, Smith won the Snap-On Finals event at Darlington, tallying his total Darlington wins to six, making him one of the most successful drivers in the track's history. Smith is also listed on Rockingham Dragway's all time leaders, with five career wins, tied for third most in the track's history. [4]

Personal life

Smith is a graduate of Clinton High School and is married to wife, Ingrid, and has two children, Curt Jr. and Catherine. [5] Smith is the owner of Curtis Smith Trucking, LLC., a trucking company based out of Clinton, NC. Smith is also the owner of Curtis Smith Racing, who his son Curt Jr. and himself race two cars out of.

Awards and honors

1996 IHRA Stock Eliminator World Champion [6]

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References

  1. ↑ "Five elected to Sampson County Sports Hall of Fame". Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  2. ↑ "Hall of Fame Induction was Surprise for Curtis Smith". Competition Plus. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "Racing Gets In Your Blood -- Curtis Smith Inducted into Hall of Fame" (PDF). The Sampson Weekly. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  4. ↑ "Rockingham Fact Sheet". Drag Race Central. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  5. ↑ "Racing Gets In Your Blood -- Curtis Smith Inducted into Hall of Fame" (PDF). The Sampson Weekly. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  6. ↑ "Hall of Fame Induction was Surprise for Curtis Smith". Competition Plus. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  7. ↑ "Hall of Fame Induction was Surprise for Curtis Smith". Competition Plus. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
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