Louise Smith
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| Born: | July 31, 1916 | |
| Birthplace: | Barnesville, Georgia | |
| Died: | March 4, 2006 (aged 90) | |
| Cause of Death: | Cancer | |
| Achievements: | — | |
| Awards: | 1999 inductee in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
member of the "Living Legends" Racing Club in Daytona Beach member of "The Old Timer's" Racing Club in Archdale, North Carolina member of the Georgia Automobile Racing Hall of Fame |
|
| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics | ||
| 11 races run over 3 years. | ||
| Best Cup Position: | 67th - 1949 (Strictly Stock) | |
| First Race: | 1949 Daytona Beach Road Course | |
| Last Race: | 1952 Morristown Speedway race | |
| Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
Louise Smith (born July 31, 1916 in Barnesville, Georgia, died April 15, 2006) was tied for the second woman to race in NASCAR at the top level. She was known as "the first lady of racing." [1]
She went as a spectator to the her first NASCAR race at the Daytona Beach Road Course in 1949. She couldn't stand watching the races, so she entered her family's shiny new Ford coupe in the race and rolled it. Her hometown Greenville, South Carolina paper featured photos of the wreck, and the town knew about it before she got home [2]. The race was the first race to feature three female drivers (Ethel Mobley and Sara Christian). The trio also competed later that season at the Langley Speedway.
She raced from 1949 to 1956. She won 38 races in her career in numerous formats: late models, modifieds (28 victories), midgets, and sportsman.
[edit] Car owner
She returned in 1971 as a car owner for numerous drivers. She sponsored Ronnie Thomas' Rookie of the Year attempt in 1978.
[edit] Award
She became the first woman inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1999.
