Paul Smart
PAUL SMART, one of the most talented and courageous racers of all time, died after his Ducati was involved in a collision on the A21 near his home in Kent, UK, on 27th October. He was 78.
Short in stature but steeped in skill and bravery, Paul will forever be remembered as the rider who led the famous Ducati 1-2 at the 1972 Imola 200, but there was much more to the man. A pioneer of the off-thesaddle, knee-dragging style, Paul was in demand from factory teams far and wide, among them Suzuki, Kawasaki, Triumph, Ducati and Norton.
Following a few lessons with the Charles Mortimer Racing School at Brands Hatch,
Paul sold everything he possessed to buy a 125cc Bultaco, a somewhat temperamental machine that was quickly sold and replaced with a CR93 Honda. He was soon a force to be reckoned with on the British circuits, but also showed his mettle at the Isle of Man, first in the 1966 Manx Grand Prix and in the TT up to 1974. It was in 1974 that he suffered the most serious of his not infrequent crashes, breaking both legs at Mallory Park while dicing furiously with his brother-in-law Barry Sheene.
Trans-Atlantic trips became a regular thing for Paul, almost winning on debut for Triumph at the 1970 Daytona 200. In 1972 he and his wife Maggie moved to the US to race Kawasakis for Bob Hansen’s team, winning the Champion Spark Plug Classic at Ontario. The following year he switched to works Suzukis, taking two more AMA wins as well as numerous victories in Britain. After another broken leg in 1975 at the Imola 200, he was never quite the same and quit racing fulltime in early 1977.
Later in life he became a regular at Classic and Historic meetings, making numerous trips to New Zealand and Australia and annually competing at the Goodwood Revival. Paul was a friendly, relaxed person who always had time to chat to fans and was adored by the public. He is survived by Maggie, son
Scott and daughter Paula. ■