First Lady

In an era where most fans thought it was unthinkable for a woman to drive a racecar, Louise Smith dared to challenge the norm, racing on the Strictly Stock Racing Circuit, the precursor to modern-day NASCAR. From 1946 to 1956, Smith was one of the most recognizable figures in all of racing. Known as the "Good Ol’ Gal," Smith promoted races from Florida to Montreal. Regardless of being a woman, she was one of the most talented and feared people on Strictly Stock(sounds like maybe an ancestor of Earnhardt).Louise is perhaps remembered as much for some of her spectacular crashes as she was for her aggressive driving, breaking almost every bone in her body at some point during her career. One race at Hillsborough almost took her life, leaving her with 48 stitches and four pins in her left knee.

Louise met Bill France before he created NASCAR. "In those days 300 or 400 fans was a big crowd, and Bill thought I could put more people in the stands," says Louise. The fans turned out by the hundreds at Louise's first race to see a woman compete against the "real" drivers. "They told me if I saw a red flag to stop," she remembers. "They didn't say anything about a checkered flag." All the drivers except Louise went to the pits when the race ended. "I'm out there just flyin' around the track. Finally somebody remembered they told me not to stop until I saw the red flag. So they gave me a red flag." She finished third in that event and went on to win 28 modified races in 11 years much to the chagrin of Lee Petty, Buck Baker, Curtis Turner, Fonty Flock, Red Byron, and Roy Hall. house." Louise wishes he had not said that!. Over the course of her career, Smith scored 38 victories in 11 years on dirt tracks throughout the country, racing against the best drivers of her day, including Lee Petty, Buck Baker, and Herb Thomas. After retiring from an 11-year career in racing, Smith spent her efforts helping other young drivers and promoting the circuit. Louise proved that women could not only compete but also excel in racing during an era where professional women athletes were extremely rare. Smith also paved the way for Janet Guthrie, remember her? Leading to the open doors of which Sarah Fisher and Danica Patrick walked through.

When my little "tire pups" are growing up, I know besides "Momma" that this will be one woman role model they can look up to. For what it is worth, thanks Louise my girls will appreciate all you did. Thanx Living Legends of Racing for the quotes and pics.