RICK @ the RACES  ( 27 Dec 2010)

R.I.P Stuart Smith , A tribute to the ‘Maestro’

This past week I learned with great sadness that Stuart Smith, who was without a doubt the best driver in the history of British stock car racing, passed away a few days before Christmas. He achieved so much in his long career, it will be difficult for anyone to ever equal.

When I first started being a race fan in the mid 1960’s Stuart Smith was just beginning his famous BriSCA F1 racing career. My earliest recollections of his name were in the stock car press that I read at the time. (Stock Car Racing News, Stock Car and Stock Car Supporter)

The young teenager with number 391, had got everyone talking about his aggressive and determined style of driving in the former Fiat Toppolino bodied Albert ‘Tiger’ Griffin car.

In those early days he traveled around the country with his friend and racing partner Doug Cronshaw ( 396) . The two youngsters from Rochdale in Lancashire soon built up a reputation , both became star grade drivers (red tops) and Stuart got given the nickname of ‘Wildcat’.

The first time I witnessed their talents were at my local Brafield Stadium (Northants) in 1968 when the duo paid a visit.

Stuart struggled with the short wheel based Griffin car throughout 1968 until the start of the 1969 season when he debuted a brand new self built car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was powered by the same 425 Buick Wildcat that he’d been using previously, but now installed in a longer wheel based chassis. The cigar shaped bodywork still retained some of the ‘Griffin’ looks, but instead of using a Fiat, it had the panels from a Ford E93A Anglia/Pop.

The car was an instant success and Stuart won first time out.

He continued to dominate throughout the year and by 13 September when the BriSCA World Final took place at Belle Vue Speedway in Manchester, the car was powered by a 454 Chevy. I was there that night , when the Rochdale ‘Wildcat’ made the race look so easy, lapping the entire field except for second placed Jim Esau, who he pushed over the line. Here is a vintage news clip that recorded Stuarts first big win.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snxwzl_0BjI

I was a teenager at this time and once I’d passed my driving test (in 1971) I traveled all over England to watch my favorite sport. Stuart Smith was the top man that everybody tried to beat. He had an army of fans that would chant their support for him where ever he raced “Zigger Zagger, Zigger , Zagger THREE NINE ONE”

When I started my BriSCA F1 career in 1974 , Stuart was still head and shoulders above the rest and by that time he had two almost identical cars in his equipe. The second car, with a different rear suspension set up was known as ‘Gertie’.

My first race was at the World Championship Qualifier at the Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk on March 31 and it wasn’t long before I felt the front bumper of Stuart. He was on his way to another Final win, and I guess ‘the rookie’ must have got in his way at the end of the ‘Esses straight’.

Throughout the 1970’s he remained a dominant force as the ‘Gertie’ car was eventually replaced by the ‘Superdodo’ in 1976. This car which was mechanically the same as ‘Gertie’ but featured a home made body with wings and spoilers .

Following his long string of race wins, the old nickname of ‘Wildcat’ somehow disappeared and he became tagged as ‘The Maestro’ .

In 1979 he debuted his ‘bread tray special’ , a real lightweight, that if folk lore is true, had a plastic bread tray as its radiator grill. This didn’t turn out to be one of his most successful cars and was badly damaged in a wreck at Belle Vue. After the rebuild, a sleeker and more pleasing to the eye style of body was used, which was retained for the last cars raced in his career.

At the end of 1986 he decided to retire from the sport and a testimonial meeting was held in his honor at Belle Vue on December 7 . I was there that day to see the Maestro bow out.

Although he was no longer actively racing, he remained a regular fixture around the tracks as his two sons Andrew and Stuart Junior started their careers. As recently as this year (2010) the Smith family starred in a TV series ‘Gears And Tears’ that followed the rivalry between their family and the Frankie Wainman racing team.

Over the years Stuart won the BriSCA F1 World Championship a total of six times (1969,1972, 1980,1983,1984,1985) plus numerous other titles and National Points Championships. His style of driving and his great skill gave me and many other race fans so much enjoyment during his career.

In this difficult time, my deepest sympathies go out to all of the Smith Family,

Rest In Peace, Stuart Smith , ‘Smithy’ , Wildcat, Super Stu , and the Maestro ,

Here is film clip from the 1984 Long Track World Final at Baarlo in the Netherlands, showing a classic piece of Stuart Smith ‘bumper work’ on top Dutchman Friedhelm Welters. This is all part of European contact racing as Welters walked away from the big hit unscathed.