louise smith

Louise Smith

she was born in 1916 in Barnsville Georgia, when women were not considered equal to men
when she was four she moved to Greenville, South Carolina
when she decided to learn to drive she ended up crashing the car into the chicken house
she wanted to succeeded in a sport where women were not allowed
she raced in the first stock car race she ever saw; and ran modifieds from 1946-1956
Louise met Bill France before he created NASCAR.
Louise helped Bill France Sr. promote NASCAR races in there early years because she was a novelty in the sport
She had a hard charging, fearless style of driving and because of that she was a fan favourite.
In her first race she finished third in a 1939 modified Ford coupe and after that experience Louise was hooked on racing.
She raced for the love of the sport.
During her eleven years of modifieds she won 38 races.
Louise is remembered for her spectacular crashes and aggressive driving.
She ended off with 48 stitches and four pins in her left knee after a crash that nearly took her life at Hillsborough.
In 1956 she quit racing but in 1971 she returned to sponsor cars.
her first Winston Cup race was a 166-mile race in Daytona where she finished 20th in a Ford after surviving a roll over
she raced later at Hillsborough, North Carolina placing 27th
and then again she raced in Langhorne Pennsylvania where she finished 16th
She currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina
She was inducteed into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1999.