Pee Wee Looking for Giant Strides in 2010

Arkona's Steve ' Pee Wee' Smith might be short in statue, but whether you're the size of Dave Silverthorne or Buddy Baker, at the other end of the spectrum such as Kerry Micks, or Mark Martin - in stock car racing - the only size that matters when everyone straps into a race car is the size of your right foot. It's the great equalizer of an athlete's physical stature. Smith, who earned his nickname for his lack of vertical quantity, came from the Delaware Speedway Transmission Direct Enduro circles where he was one of the top runners. In 2009 he traded in his Enduro ride for a move up the ladder to the Super Stock division, quickly becoming one of the 'big' guns in a very deep class of competitors.

On opening night, Smith proved he belonged as he rolled from the back of the pack, to a fourth-place finish, and after serving his rookie initiation of starting at the back for the first three nights, he exploded on the scene Friday July third. Smith pulled beside Jim Maris late in the event coming out of turn two, and made the move on the outside. "That was my Enduro experience coming through," Smith explained. "In an Enduro race, there is so much traffic that you have to use the entire track, so going to the outside of someone wasn't a big deal to me. I was able to get him and win the feature." Smith continued to roll, showing the poise of a veteran, and winning the Rookie-of-the-Year title, along with a fourth-place result in points, missing out on third by just three markers in a stellar freshman campaign.

Smith spoke about the months leading to the 2009 season as the team made the transition to a full schedule of racing as opposed to their previous once a month routine. "We raced in Enduro for six or seven years, and won championships in 2006 and 2007, and finished second in points in 2008. During that stretch the worse we ever finished in any single event was 12th. There were about four of us that ran up front all the time, and we didn't really think there was too much more we could accomplish in the Enduro class. We spoke about it as a crew, and the guys were all for moving up to the Super Stock division, so we bought a chassis, a crate motor and moved up for 2009."

Racing a 150 or 200-lap Enduro with 70-plus cars on the track is much different than a 25-lap feature on a Friday night against 18 other competitors and the sheer difference in formats was what Smith had to overcome. "It's a totally different mindset on Friday nights. Early on racing Enduros, I would try to win the race on the first lap. I learned to be more patient, and now Friday nights the races are so short that you have to take advantage of every break you can get. 25 laps isn't a long time at all when you're used to racing 200 laps."

Recently, the Enduro drivers started racing on the odd Friday night as part of the weekly program. They were now racing in front of a different crowd, under a more traditional racing format, but most importantly it was helping to prepare the teams to step up to the weekly program. "The Enduro All-Star races really helped us prepare to race in the regular Friday night program. Friday nights are so much busier in the pits, and it seems like it is go, go, go, and then you get to the race and it's over so quick. Personally, it's also a lot tougher on me because I have to get off work early every Friday during the summer, but the boss is pretty good about it. I just have to plan and prepare for it at work, and then I get to love life."

The Smith Racing Team was also racing with heavy hearts during the 2009 season, as they competed through the whole year in honour of fallen crew member Steve Berdan, who passed away shortly before the season opener. "Steve was a friend of a friend," explained Smith. "He really helped us out a lot last winter getting ready to move to Super Stock, so as a team we dedicated the entire season to him."

Other crew members of the #84 are Jeff, P.J., Darren, my Dad, Kevin, Michelle, Rudi, Mike, Paul, and his wife Wendy his two children. Marketing partners include Mars Auto Refinishing, Arkona Home Hardware, AKKO, KYIS Embroidery, Goertz Farm Systems, Rock Glen Family Resort, Sarnia Equipment, T. Vanderydt Renovations, Wendy Smith Photography, Lobo Sand and Gravel, and Transmission Direct.

Smith will be looking to challenge Lidster and Lake for a championship in 2010, and will prove that as long as you can make it to the top of the podium, it doesn't matter if they call you 'Pee Wee'.

Story by Jamie Maudsley
Photos by Maudsley Motorsports