Stanley Smith (September 29, 1949 – December 9, 2020) was an Americanstock car racing driver and dirt-track racer, who competed in 28NASCAR Winston Cup Series races between 1990 and 1993.

Smith started his racing career in 1972.^[1] In 1989 he won the 1989NASCAR All-American Challenge Series championship.^[2] Smith qualified twelfth for his first Winston Cup Series start at the1990 DieHard 500 atTalladega Superspeedway;^[1] during the race he was involved in a pit road mishap when he lost control of his car and hit several crew members forTracy Leslie's team. No one was seriously injured.^[3]

In 1991,Chad Knaus entered NASCAR competition as a crew member for Smith's team;^[4] Smith also introducedInterstate Batteries into NASCAR as a sponsor before the company moved toJoe Gibbs Racing.^[5] In addition to making limited Winston Cup Series starts, Smith also drove in theBusch Grand National Series, making four starts between 1991 and 1992; he also scored a victory atMichigan International Speedway in his lone start in theARCA Permatex SuperCar Series in 1991.^[1][6]

At the1993 DieHard 500 atTalladega, Smith was involved in a multi-car accident that saw fellow competitorJimmy Horton flip over the track's retaining wall and roll down the embankment outside the track.^[7] The multi-car crash happened on lap 70 when Smith clipped Horton's car; Horton then hit three other cars before launching over the wall.^[8] Smith hit the wall almost head-on, suffering abasilar skull fracture and massive blood loss;^[9] his driver's suit, which was white before the race, was soaked in blood as he was rushed toCaraway Methodist Medical Center in critical condition.^[10] Smith was unconscious for ten days following the accident;^[9] during his recovery he underwent multiple surgeries,^[11] and the left side of his face was left paralyzed from nerve damage.^[9]

As a result of this and other wrecks, Talladega installedcatch fencing along the entire track, not just where spectator stands were present;^[12] in addition, following the 1993 season NASCAR mandated cars be fitted withroof flaps in an attempt to stop flips during accidents.^[13]

While he would never race in the Winston Cup Series again, Smith would return to competition in regional racing in 1995.^[9] In 2000 he wonFive Flags Speedway's Snowflake 100;^[1] in 2004, at the age of 54, he won aNASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southeast Series event atKentucky Speedway.^[14] Smith's final racing start came at the 2008Snowball Derby; he would crash after 120 laps, finishing 33rd.^[15]

Smith was born on September 29, 1949, in Birmingham, Alabama.^[1] Outside of racing he worked in thedrywall industry operating Stanley Smith Drywall Inc. (still in operation as of August, 2022) which helped to fund his racing career.^[1] He was married and had three children.^[1]

Smith died ofinterstitial pneumonia on December 9, 2020, at age 71. Smith had been battling the disease since September.^[1]

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

• Stanley Smith driver statistics at Racing-Reference
• Stanley Smith driver statistics at The Third Turn

• 1949 births
• 2020 deaths
• NASCAR drivers
• People from Chelsea, Alabama
• Racing drivers from Alabama
• ARCA Menards Series drivers
• Deaths from pneumonia in Alabama
• Daytona 500 drivers
• Coca-Cola 600 drivers

• Use mdy dates from December 2020
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata