Race director excited about possibilities at Cleveland Fairgrounds Speedway
Clark Leonard/The Star
Track director Michael W. Smith poses with his 1933 Plymouth Coupe Modified racecar at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds Speedway. He is looking forward to the start of racing at the track on April 21.
The Shelby Star
Saturday, Mar 17 2012, 4:04 pm
Alan Ford
Cleveland County Fairgrounds Speedway:
3/8-mile Dirt Track
Initial Race, 1 p.m. on April 21
Good Old Days Series begins April 27
Racing every Friday night with pit gate open at 4 p.m. for Safety Tech inspections
Track opens at 5 p.m., hot laps at 6 p.m., qualifying at 6:30pm
Racing starts at 8 p.m.
When the Cleveland Country Fairgrounds brass went looking for someone to direct its return to automobile racing, they obviously wanted someone with lifelong ties to the sport.
Michael W. Smith fit the bill and landed the job of Speedway Director. He has shepherded the venerable fairgrounds track through a renovation getting ready for an April 21 (1 p.m.) start date. The first Good Old Days Series race premieres April 27.
When you first talk to Smith, you realize his roots run deep in racing.
My grandfather ran motorcycles and then my Dad was a welder who ran Modifieds back in the 50s, said Smith, a native of Toledo, Ohio. We always had race cars in the yard. From the time I was old enough to understand it, I was hooked on racing. Thats all I ever wanted to do.
Smith has been involved in the sport at almost every level driver, car owner, race promoter. His affinity for racing hasnt abated through the years, nor his interest in the sports past.
Early NASCAR was where it was at, he says plainly. I got to see guys (in Ohio growing up) racing against the Pettys, Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough and get beat by some of the guys. I was around Joe Reuttman and you could see him fit in with the greats of Daytona.
At this stage of his life, Smith wrestled with the question: What would get me back (in racing)?
The challenge at the local fairgrounds was right down his alley.
I wanted to have something that was affordable and that you could take children to, Smith said. Were going to have a NASCAR legends race every Friday. And we want to get local people involved.
There are a lot of people around here who were associated with it. Youll even find a few engines in some old garages around that havent been out in a while. Were really wanted those local and older guys to get there cars out.
Smith feels many folks today dont realize what a hub of racing the Shelby area was in the 1950s & 60s.
There were a lot of drivers and people that came here from everywhere from Charlotte to Greenville (S.C.), Smith said. I think it will be fun for people to see them and those cars. And we want to have something for all ages.
The first question Smith gets, when people ask whats in store for racing fans here, is What kind of car will be running?
It has to be a vintage racing class, which is 1937-to-1989, he said. Those are cars from a time where you still recognized the brand. People pulled for Plymouth, or Ford or Dodge in those days. So many of these cars will be ones that could never qualify today.
We want people to run what you got! Theyre not going to spend thousands of dollars. As a fan, I cant wait.
Im really excited about what weve done and what well have. There have been no negatives. A lot of people have told me they cant wait either.
For more info on whats ahead at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds Speedway, check on line at http://www.goodolddaysseries.com/
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updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:08:38PM
