Son’s plea on anniversary of race king’s death
A legend in the world of Stock Car Racing, Stuart Smith died ten years ago after a sudden cardiac arrest. His son wants to use the tragedy to educate others on the threat of heart conditions. Patrick Jack reports
ALMOST a decade after legendary racing driver Stuart Smith tragically died of a cardiac arrest two days before Christmas, his son has spoken for the first time of the ‘traumatic’ circumstances of his death.
Rochdale’s Stuart Smith is regarded as the greatest driver in the history of F1 Stock Car Racing, winning six World Championships across his 21 year career, before he retired in 1986.
He suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and died on December 23 2010, aged just 64.
The youngest of his two sons, Stuart Smith Jr (pictured left), is using his dad’s story to spread the word about the silent killer of heart disease.
Stuart Jr, who followed his namesake’s footsteps into racing along with his brother Andy, has built an incredible replica of his dad’s most prolific racing car.
ALMOST a decade after legendary racing driver Stuart Smith tragically died of a cardiac arrest just two days before Christmas, his son has spoken for the first time of the ‘traumatic’ circumstances of his death.
Rochdale’s Stuart Smith is regarded as the greatest driver in the history of F1 Stock Car Racing, winning six World Championships across his 21 year career, before he retired in 1986.
He suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and died on December 23 2010, aged just 64.
The youngest of his two sons, Stuart Smith Jr, is using his dad’s story to spread the word about the silent killer of heart disease.
Stuart Jr, who followed his namesake’s footsteps into racing, as did his brother Andy, has built an incredible replica of his dad’s most prolific racing car.
He has spent the last two years exhibiting it at car shows and racing events around the country, raising funds for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
Stuart Jr, 37, said: “We’re trying to use my dad’s fame and reputation to get his story out there and make people realise how silent some heart conditions can be. We’ve been doing everything we can, everywhere we can - taking the car and BHF information packs along to different events and raising funds.
“Dad always liked to help anybody out at any opportunity. I’m sure he’d be proud of the vehicle that we’ve created in his name, raising money for the BHF while also doing something for the Stock Car community.”
So far, Stuart Jr has raised an incredible £3,500 for the BHF and is determined to raise more.
His dad made his mark as World Champion in F1 Stock Car Racing in the 70s and 80s, winning 13 consecutive national points’ titles, and made a number of appearances on mainstream television.
He stared in Noel Edmond’s popular Swap Shop and the BBC even ran a documentary in 2010 called Gears and Tears, looking at Stuart’s notorious rivalry with fellow stock car racer Frankie Wainman.
‘The Maestro’ retired from the track in 1986 and spent his later years running a garage with Stuart Jr, and Andy, 46, who both enjoyed exceptional racing careers.
Stuart Jr said they were just shutting up shop before they finished for Christmas on the morning of his dad’s cardiac arrest.
“Dad came in that morning feeling unwell and short of breath,” Stuart Jr said.
“I said it could be the early signs of a problem with his heart but Dad was quite old school, he thought he could just walk it off.
“He helped me up on to a vehicle with a roof rack which was my last job before finishing. He walked off and I remember thinking that he didn’t look too good.”
A couple of minutes later a friend, who worked with the Smiths at the garage, came running around the corner.
He’d found Stuart collapsed by the gate.
Stuart Jr added: “It was pretty evident he’s had a cardiac arrest. He was grey, turning blue and his eyes were still open.
“Me and a customer started CPR – he was brilliant, he really tried his best to save dad. We rang the ambulance and they turned up and tried to resuscitate him too.
“It was probably the most traumatic two hours of my life. It just goes to show what a silent killer heart disease can be. When I found Dad, it was as though someone had just flicked a switch and turned his lights off – he still had the keys in his hand ready to unlock the gate to go home for Christmas.”
For Stuart Jr, growing up, much of his dad’s time and energy was consumed with racing. Weekends were spent travelling to races across the country and to championships in Europe, the USA and even New Zealand.
It wasn’t until his dad retired from competitive sport that the pair became truly close, making it more difficult to deal with his grief.
Stuart Jr said: “Throughout my childhood dad was held on a pedestal by a lot of people but to me he was just my dad. I just wanted a father son relationship with him.
“As I got older and started working with him day in day out, we became best friends. I could tell him anything.”
In the wake of his dad’s death, Stuart began educating himself about heart disease, especially as the garage and businesses nearby did not have defibrillators fitted at the time of the cardiac arrest.
Ever since then, Stuart Jr has played an active role in making sure there is one in every community building in the area.
He has also found an extraordinary way to celebrate his dad’s life.
Together with fans and close friend, Mark Calzone, 52, he rebuilt a replica of his dad’s most prolific racing car, which was sponsored by Hertz Car Sales, to raise vital funds for the BHF and pay tribute to his dad’s glittering career. The pair have been exhibiting the replica at stock car races and motorsport events across the country.
Finally, Stuart’s name has been engraved forever on the BHF’s iconic Heart of Steel - a monumental art sculpture based in Yorkshire with 150,000 spaces for people to engrave their name, or the name of a loved one.
The BHF see it as an enduring tribute to an extraordinary life and to the 7.4 million people still living with heart disease in the UK.