Bradley Smith (born October 9, 1968) is an American professional stock car racing driver who competes full-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 48 Ford Mustang for his team, Brad Smith Motorsports. Smith is a veteran of the series, having made over 400 starts in it since 1988. He made his debut in the ARCA Menards Series East in 2020 and ARCA Menards Series West in 2021, and he and his team have also competed part-time in those series since then. He is the younger brother of fellow driver Jeff Smith.
Brad Smith | |||||||
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Born | Bradley Smith October 9, 1968 Shelby Township, Michigan | ||||||
ARCA Menards Series career | |||||||
443 races run over 31 years | |||||||
ARCA no., team | No. 48 (Brad Smith Motorsports) | ||||||
Best finish | 5th (2021) | ||||||
First race | 1988 Stewart-Warner Track Force 150 (Rockford) | ||||||
Last race | 2024 Owens Corning 200 (Toledo) | ||||||
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ARCA Menards Series East career | |||||||
28 races run over 5 years | |||||||
ARCA East no., team | No. 48 (Brad Smith Motorsports) | ||||||
Best finish | 5th (2022) | ||||||
First race | 2020 Herr's Potato Chips 200 (Toledo) | ||||||
Last race | 2024 Bush's Beans 200 (Bristol) | ||||||
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ARCA Menards Series West career | |||||||
3 races run over 3 years | |||||||
ARCA West no., team | No. 48 (Brad Smith Motorsports) | ||||||
Best finish | 63rd (2021) | ||||||
First race | 2021 General Tire 150 (Phoenix) | ||||||
Last race | 2023 General Tire 150 (Phoenix) | ||||||
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Statistics current as of October 7, 2024. |
Racing career
editThis section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2021) |
An oil fire at Talladega Superspeedway in 2003 burned Smith's face and arms, resulting in a hospital stay.[1] In the late 2000s, Smith hosted students from the University of Northwestern Ohio on his racing crew.[1]
During the 2015 International Motorsports Hall of Fame 200 at Talladega, Austin Wayne Self spun in the tri-oval, and collected Smith's racecar, which went pinballing off both the outside and inside retaining walls.[2] Press reports indicated that the crash fractured Smith's left ankle, although Smith later described the injury as a sprain.[3] A planned full-time season was derailed, as Smith needed a wheelchair for five months following the crash.[4] He returned for a full season the following year and received the General Tire Spirit Award.[5] Smith was driving for James Hylton Motorsports in 2018 when Hylton was killed in a hauler accident.[6] The team completed the 2018 season and rebranded as Smith Brothers Racing, led by Smith and his brother Jeff. The group retained many of the same personnel from Hylton's team.[7] In 2020, Smith claimed his first series top-ten at Winchester Speedway; the finish came in his 363rd start.[8] Despite not having much success in 2021, only finishing three races under power and missing Daytona, Smith was able to score his career best points finish, 5th. In 2022, Smith would finish nine races under power and would earn his second career top 10, 10th at Berlin, and ended the season 8th in points. 2023 would see Smith complete five races and improve to 6th in points.
Personal life
editSmith was an engineer at General Motors before being laid off in 2019.[7] He has been married and divorced twice.[1] Smith graduated from Utica Eisenhower High School.[1]
Motorsports career results
editARCA Menards Series
edit(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
ARCA Menards Series East
editARCA Menards Series East results | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | AMSEC | Pts | Ref |
2020 | Brad Smith Motorsports | 48 | Chevy | NSM | TOL 15 |
DOV | TOL 17 |
BRI 25 |
FIF 18 |
13th | 101 | [40] | ||
2021 | NSM | FIF | NSV | DOV | SNM 15 |
IOW 19 |
MLW 22 |
BRI 24 |
14th | 146 | [41] | |||
2022 | NSM 15 |
FIF 14 |
DOV 11 |
NSV 13 |
IOW 15 |
MLW 21 |
BRI 24 |
5th | 245 | [42] | ||||
2023 | Ford | FIF Wth |
DOV 11 |
IOW 15 |
IRP 21 |
10th | 186 | [43] | ||||||
Chevy | NSV 12 |
FRS 13 |
BRI 30 | |||||||||||
Kimmel Racing | 69 | Ford | MLW 20 |
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2024 | Brad Smith Motorsports | 48 | Ford | FIF Wth |
DOV Wth |
NSV 16 |
FRS 15 |
IOW 26 |
IRP 31 |
MLW 22 |
BRI 32 |
18th | 122 | [44] |
ARCA Menards Series West
editARCA Menards Series West results | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | AMSWC | Pts | Ref |
2021 | Brad Smith Motorsports | 48 | Chevy | PHO 26 |
SON | IRW | CNS | IRW | PIR | LVS | AAS | PHO | 63rd | 18 | [45] | |||
2022 | PHO 34 |
IRW | KCR | PIR | SON | IRW | EVG | PIR | AAS | LVS | PHO | 69th | 10 | [46] | ||||
2023 | Ford | PHO 30 |
IRW | KCR | PIR | SON | IRW | SHA | EVG | AAS | LVS | MAD | PHO | 73rd | 14 | [47] | ||
2024 | Chevy | PHO DNQ |
KER | PIR | SON | IRW | IRW | SHA | TRI | MAD | AAS | KER | PHO | N/A | 0 | [48] |
References
edit- ^ a b c d Brudenell, Mike (June 9, 2010). "A Racing Love Affair". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Daniels, Tim. "Brad Smith Injured In a Crash At Talladega". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
- ^ "Dropping The Hammer: Guest ARCA Driver Brad Smith". Spreaker. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ Brudenell (June 10, 2016). "Smith arguably the toughest driver in ARCA". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- ^ "General Tire Presents Spirit Award To Veteran Driver Brad Smith". After Market News. December 13, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- ^ "NASCAR, racing communities react to the death of James Hylton". NASCAR on NBC. NBC Sports. April 28, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- ^ a b Pohly, George (June 7, 2019). "Brad Smith, brother stay in ARCA racing with crew that's 'like family'". Macomb Daily. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- ^ Kaminski, Steve (September 19, 2020). "Michigan driver posts first ARCA top-10 finish in 363rd career start". MLive. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 1988 ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 1991 ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 1995 ARCA Hooters SuperCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 1996 ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 1998 ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 1999 ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2000 ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2001 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2002 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2003 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2004 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2005 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2006 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2007 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2008 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2009 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2010 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2011 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2012 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2013 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2014 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2015 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2016 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2017 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2018 ARCA Racing Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2019 ARCA Menards Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2020 ARCA Menards Series Results". Racing Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2021 ARCA Menards Series Results". Racing Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2022 ARCA Menards Series Results". Racing Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2023 ARCA Menards Series Results". Racing Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2024 ARCA Menards Series Results". Racing Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2020 ARCA Menards East Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2021 ARCA Menards Series East Results". Racing Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2022 ARCA Menards Series East results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2023 ARCA Menards Series East results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2024 ARCA Menards Series East results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2021 ARCA Menards Series West Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2022 ARCA Menards Series West Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2023 ARCA Menards Series West Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
- ^ "Brad Smith – 2024 ARCA Menards Series West Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
External links
edit- Official website
- Brad Smith driver statistics at Racing-Reference
- Brad Smith crew chief statistics at Racing-Reference