Hall of Fame members Freddy Smith(left) and Herman Goddard
After a brief battle with illness, one of dirt racing’s all-time greats has passed away at the age of 76.
Few can match the accomplishments of Freddy Smith on the race track. The native of Kings Mountain, NC began his racing career by storming through his home region but his legend would ultimately spread throughout the Dirt Late Model racing world.
‘The Southern Gentleman’ piled up numerous crown jewel wins throughout his remarkable career. He became the first winner of the $100,000 Dirt Late Model Dream in 1994 then followed that feat up with another triumph in that event at Eldora Speedway in 2000. He was also the inaugural victor in the Topless 100 at the Batesville(AR) Motor Speedway and he scored wins in the Show-me 100 at Missouri’s West Plains Motor Speedway in 1998 and 2001.
But Smith’s greatest legacy in terms of winning big races will no doubt be counted as his mastery of the Dirt Track World Championship. He won that highly regarded event five times(1983, 1985, 1991, 1993 & 1998). The first four of those noteworthy wins came at West Virginia’s Pennsboro Speedway with the final being achieved at Thunder Ridge Speedway in Prestonsburg, Kentucky.
In 1996, Smith was crowned as the Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Racing Series champion.
Aside from racing, however, Smith will be fondly remembered for his easy going nature with fans and fellow competitors as well as the generosity he demonstrated toward young up-and-coming drivers. He was always willing to share both his time and knowledge with those who sought it.
The legend’s son, Jeff Smith, posted on Facebook early Sunday morning that his father had passed away:
“Just letting everyone know that Dad has passed. Please continue to respect our privacy during this difficult time. It all happened really fast. We are happy to say that Dad gave his life to the Lord on the morning of October 3rd. We have peace in our hearts. We want to thank everyone for all of the prayers that have been sent up. Please continue to pray for peace and comfort for mom and the rest of our family.“
