NASCAR Race Mom: Kenny & Marylou - A Story of Love and Racing

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Kenny & Marylou - A Story of Love and Racing

Timeless Tale of Dedication and Devotion

Kenny Smith win the track championship to become the oldest champion in the track’s nineteen year history.

Kenny Smith is seventy-two years young. For a lot of that time, he has had two loves – racing and his wife of fifty-two years.

Born on September 25, 1946, he just celebrated his birthday. However, that is not all he celebrated.

Kenny and Marylou Smith have been married for fifty-two years.

Kenny & Marylou

You see, Kenny is not only winning races in the Sharky’s Spec Late Model Division at Irwindale Speedway* in California; just three days shy of his birthday, Smith won the track championship to become the oldest champion in the track’s nineteen-year history.

Irwindale had to rearrange the race schedule however. Smith who had set the fastest qualifying time during afternoon qualifying, rushed to the hospital to be with his wife. Marylou, who has suffered from some medical issues with Kenny by her side all the way, collapsed in the pits and was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. (Doctors diagnosed dehydration as the cause, but kept her for observation)

“We had a wild week end at Irwindale speedway it started very good we got fast time qualified #1 we were at autograph session about 6:30 pm and Marylou said she felt like she was going to faint so Cindy Philps took Marylou to the pits by the time it took to get there she was totally past out thank you to the Irwindale speedway fire and rescue team they responded very fast I went to the hospital with her she was dehydrated about 1hour after she told me to go back to Irwindale and win the race and the championship thank you Tim Huddelston and all the team at Irwindale speedway ps Marylou is doing very will” Kenny Smith via Facebook

Track officials moved Smith race from third in the order to last, which gave him time to be with his hospitalized wife and still get back to the track to not only compete, but unbelievable maintain the strength of mind to win!

Results of Sharky’s Spec Late Models
Main Event - September 23, 2018

Pos	No.	Name	Laps	Total Tm	Avg. Speed
1	43	Kenny Smith	25	08:45.9	85.568
2	98	John Watkinson	25	08:47.0	85.394
3	13	Shannon Millen	25	08:48.0	85.231
4	55	Dean Thompson	25	08:48.7	85.107
5	19	Robert Arevalo	25	09:06.1	82.402
6	29	Jason Delong	23	09:24.0	73.398
7	50	Craig Yeaton	11	09:13.6	35.766

On his way to the championship, Kenny, driving his No. 43 Chevrolet, won four of the races on the eight-race schedule.

Sharky’s Spec Late
Models 2018 Points

Pos	Car#	Name	Total
1	43	Kenny Smith	442
2	24	Craig Yeaton	350
3	29	Jason DeLong	336
5	98	John Walkinson	272
4	19	Robert Arevalo	252
8	55	Dean Thompson	226
17	13	Shannon Millen	176
6	59	John Butler	148
7	21	Rich DeLong III	82
16	50	Brad DeBerti	50
9	19	Todd Conrad	46
10	21	David Hibbard	42
11	19	Tony Jackson	42
12	29	Matt Tsau	38

Smith is not new to racing. In fact, in the nineties, before many of his competitors were born, he ran some NASCAR Winston West Series events. Kenny participated in the series, now known as the K&N Pro Series West from 1994 until 2000.

During that period, he raced against some familiar names including:

Greg Biffle

Kenny back in the day.
Brett Bodine
Kurt Busch
Bill Elliott
Brendan Gaughan
Butch Gilliland
David Gilliland
Kevin Harvick Lance Hooper
Ron Hornaday Jr.
P.J. Jones
Hershel McGriff
Roger Mears Jr.
Jerry Nadeau
Boris Said
Ken Schrader
Mike Skinner
Lake Speed
Kenny Wallace
Mike Wallace

Smith executed smoking donuts in the infield prior to his finish-line interview with pit announcer/co-track promoter Tim Huddleston. Fans applauded and cheered loudly when told he was about to turn seventy-two.

“Just as soon as I’m finished here I’m taking this trophy to her (Marylou) in the hospital,” Smith proclaimed tearfully.

*Irwindale is located right in the center of the Los Angeles basin, the very heart of the San Gabriel Valley... Irwindale Speedway is easy to get to from anywhere in southern California.