Dumont Smith

[Rick Anges]

Just came across this gem of an interview with Dumont Smith the 67 Governors Cup winner. Myself Wayne Jefferson and Jack had great time talking to this great man about everything from NASCAR to his trips home from a Miami race with his pistol in his lap. Click here for the interview.

[OldSchool+]

So, if I have the math right, Dumont passed away in 2012 at the age of 81, and the interview was in 2007 when he was about 76.

You know, when you see the old NASCAR clips tied together in a montage or or hear interviews of, say Ned Jarrett or Junior Johnson now, it is easy to think--oh, those old boys, things were different then, they were easier...

Racing (as you heard on the tape) has always been expensive.

And the level of competition was closer. The cars were tight, and framming, lap after lap, usually two abreast. There were a lot of good drivers, Wayne Jefferson good and Wayne Jefferson tough. It was not easier, if anything, it was tougher to win.

But all of that aside, I am here to tell you that Dumont Smith was one hell of a driver. I remember him as one of those wild guys, a wreckers or checkers kind of guy. Not inept dangerous, just outrageous. And he won far more than he lost. I was probably at that Governors Cup in '67 but I went to a lot of them and it does not stand out clearly.

Dumont could carry a car like very few. I can remember in the '70s he was in a '67 Chevelle and he was sideways loose on the outside lap after lap and passed them all for the win at Orlando. I believe his race cars were routinely loose. Modified loose or looser.

He did not take well to rough driving either. Think Big E. Hit Dumont, there was going to be a bill, and it was going to be paid right now!

Thanks for the memories, Dumont, RIP.

And thank you Mr Anges for posting that for us.

[egspeedway]

Since my family was involved in Eau Gallie speedway from its opening until my dad passed in 1961 I got a regular dose of Dumont. He was as hard a driver as I have ever seen. Eau Gallie being a tight quartermile track you had to drive the outside if you wanted to win and Dumont won often and was a track champion. One of my cherished photos is Dumont in the car he won the Gov. cup driving through the pits. In the coupe days one of his owners was Jimmie Caudle one of the nicest gentlemen I have met in racing. Like Old School I have to thank him for a ton of memorable races and more than a few wrecks pushing the envelope.

[OldSchool+]

Somebody correct me here if I am too far off the mark.

I was trying to think of who Dumont reminded me of... Earnhardt Sr? no...Balough?...no, and so on.

But it finally came to me: Curtis Turner!

[egspeedway]

Somebody correct me here if I am too far off the mark.

I was trying to think of who Dumont reminded me of... Earnhardt Sr? no...Balough?...no, and so on.

But it finally came to me: Curtis Turner!

I think you have it right. Earnhardt, rightly or wrongly was viewed by many as a dirty driver. Balough was known for being slippery smooth around the track like Dave McGinnis was. Turner on the other hand took no prisoners and was simply known as a very hard driver. Off the track Turner had no peer either.

[ancrdave]

I knew Dumont from the time we started going to the races in FL in 1963... He was quite a character and one heckuva driver... He did not race his #43 LM at Orlando much but that car (pictured here in 1965) was virtually unbeatable at Eau Gallie... Dumont and his brother Percy were in the home building business and on Fridays they had to pay their employees after work so Dumont always got a late start coming to Orlando Raceway... Again, he rarely brought his LM but instead drove the #16K Sportsman (also pictured here)... I can't remember who owned the car but it would be there and race-ready when Dumont showed up, usually just in time to start the feature... He always had to start in the back but usually finished in the top five against top guns like Bobby Dawson, Ernie Alderman, Dick Joyce, Ernie Bass, Crash Tidd and the others...
Dumont also respected the fact that his name was the third to be placed on the Governor's Cup... He never missed one of the GC races held at New Smyrna and was a great interview before the start of the race...
His son Lance is a great guy and was also a darn good racer, winning a couple of championships at New Smyrna...

[jacko241]

What a cool thread! Great pictures and stories!