Remembering the brilliance of Smokey Yunick (1923 - 2001)

One of the most brilliant minds in racing history, Smokey Yunick. Here is a shout out to you and all you've done!
updated by @robert-p-martin: 12/03/16 05:48:03PM

Just 1 of my many inspirations to turn wrenches for a living, the stories of him doing the pontiacs and Chevrolets in NASCAR especially his banned 66chevelle, i have a poster in my shop that when i run into a tough problem ,i just look at the poster and say "What would you do Smokey"?

If you want to know more about Smokey, you need to read his book. My Life & Adventures 650 pages availible at smokey yunick.com ebay & amazon books on a scale 1 to 10 I give it a 10

simply the most brillent mind ever to turn a wrench,nascar called him a cheat,but there were no rules for what he was doing...out thinking them!!! so they banned him.

Absolutely!! Great post. Thanks!


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Founder/Creator - RacersReunion®

One of the greatest things I ever heard Smokey say showed just how much of a whiz he was. When referring to the engine position in his car, he said "They told me I couldn't move the engine back. But they didn't tell me I couldn't move the body forward". Nobody has ever nor will they ever read the gray areas of a rule book and get around things like ole Smokey did. He was absolutely amazing.

NASCAR has killed the genius mechanic. Nowdays if they find some trick not addressed in the rulebook they just call it "unapproved" and penalize you anyway.

You have to have grown up during the Unick era to truly appreciate the man and what he did for automotive racing, Neat things he did that the regular racer didnt spot was worth its weight in gold. Take that chevelle he took to Daytona,it litterly flew around the course and everyone was shouting foul on the motor but all along it was tricks to the body,Indy was the same way,the man was so far ahead in design it was scary. Nothing was more fun than to go to his shop and listen and look and keep your mouth shut cause that was best way to find the door fast. A brain that left us way to soon. O the stories I heard there in the 50's

i have thought about building a tribute car to smokey several times but i have major thoughts as to how would you truly build a car the way he did and do it his way--i saw a lot and and a lot is documented BUT so much he didnt say or let people know about would be the down fall --you can paint one to look like his FROM a distance but when you get close smokey was well lets just say he was colorful but different even with paint. Now go look that up and figure that one out that my friend is------------------------------memories