Larry Grayson Smith (June 2, 1942 – August 12, 1973), born in Lenoir,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

, United States, was a

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driver. He made his debut in the 1971

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in the #92

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, finishing 22nd. He would go on to run three more races that year, acquiring one top-ten finish. In 1972, he was named the first NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year, running 23 races and posting seven top-ten finishes. The next year, he finally acquired major sponsorship, from

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. Later that year, while running the

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, Smith spun his 1971 Mercury on lap 14 and slapped the Turn 1

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.''Larry Smith Killed In Race Crash'', Atlanta Daily World, August 16, 1973, pg. 9. His car suffered minor damage, which the crew was preparing to repair. However, during the ensuing

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, members of Smith's

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surprisingly discovered that the driver did not survive the impact of the crash; track doctors confirmed that he had died of massive head injuries. An August 23, 1973 news report indicated that Smith's helmet had been sent to an independent testing laboratory for examination, to determine what role his helmet had in the injuries he sustained. It further reported that a study was underway to determine if safer helmets for drivers could be found. A 1975 report stated that doctors determined that Smith's skull was "abnormally soft", and that it had been fractured several times before his fatal wreck. It is rumored, but not confirmed, that the head injuries that killed Smith came because he tore the inner-lining out of his helmet, which had been bothering him for some time. He was pronounced

dead on arrival Dead on Scene ('' 'DOS' '') Found dead before first responders get on scene and no medical treatment was given. Dead on arrival (DOA), also dead in the field and brought in dead (BID), are terms which indicate that a patient was found to be ...

at the

Talladega Superspeedway Talladega Superspeedway, nicknamed “'Dega”, and formerly named Alabama International Motor Speedway (AIMS) from 1969 to 1989, is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base ...

infield hospital. No other drivers were involved in the crash. Smith is one of several drivers featured in the 1975 book '' The World's Number One, Flat-Out, All-Time Great Stock Car Racing Book'' by Jerry Bledsoe. Bledsoe describes the struggles Smith went through in his run for Rookie Of The Year in 1972.

References

External links

* 1942 births 1973 deaths NASCAR drivers People from Lenoir, North Carolina Racing drivers from North Carolina Racing drivers who died while racing Sports deaths in Alabama {{NASCAR-bio-stub