Carroll Smith

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Carroll Smith (1932-2003) is a successful professional race car driver, engineer, and author. Carroll succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2003 at his home in Northern California, leaving his daughter Dana, his son Christopher, and his fiancée Ginger.

Carroll's former wife, Jane, died on October 15, 1994 after a fall from a balcony in their home while she was gardening. Carroll himself notes: "She went doing what she liked best, enjoying the ocean view and gardening...secure in the love of her family and friend and in the respect of her co-workers and students."

Carroll's books are highly-regarded among amateur race drivers. He is representative of the club racing spirit: learning a craft and bringing together several disciplines in order to participate in a dangerous and often misunderstood sport.

[edit] Biography

Born and raised in the northeast United States, Carroll Smith began racing MGs while attending the University of Rochester. Entering SCCA events in Pensacola, Florida at he time, he was enlisted in the US Navy.

Carroll moved to Europe where he befriended John Cooper. Driving a Formula Junior Cooper, he won his first race. After waning success in the Cooper cars, he returned to the United States and began working with Carroll Shelby at the Ford Motor Company on the GT40 program, which was aimed at challenging Ferrari’s dominance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. Smith was hired as the Team Manager.

After winning Le Mans with the GT40 cars from 1966 to 1969 (inclusive), Ford lost interest in the GT40 program. Smith moved to work with Tony Adamowicz to work on his F5000 car in 1969. Smith led the team to the championship that year.

After that victory, he began working on 'Prepare to Win'. Smith later consulted for the Ferrari Formula One team and exercised his interest in racing by running vintage cars. Carroll was an active and avid Society of Automotive Engineers member.

His books were well received by drivers and mechanics alike because of their affable, direct, and clear writing style. After writing a series of books about different aspects of car preparation, each with "... to Win" in the title, he wrote Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners, and Plumbing Handbook about the fasteners and plumbing parts often used in cars. This book was often referred to as "Screw to Win".