Larry
Smith , born in Lenoir, North Carolina, was a former NASCAR
driver. He made his debut in the 1971 World 600 in the #92 Ford,
finishing 22nd. He would go on to run three more races that year,
acquiring one top-ten finish. In 1972, he was named the first NASCAR
Winston Cup Rookie of the Year, running 23 races and posting seven
top-ten finishes. The next year, he finally acquired major sponsorship,
from Carling Black Label. Unfortunately, he was struggling severely that
year and was trying to turn things around.
Later
that year, while running the Talladega 500, Smith spun his 1971 Mercury
(automobile) on lap 14 and slapped the Turn 1 retaining wall. His car
suffered minor damage, and his crew which the crew was repairing to
return to the track. However during the ensuing caution flag, members of
Smith's pit crew surprisingly discovered that the driver did not survive
the impact of the crash. It is rumored, but not confirmed, that the head
injuries that killed Smith came because he tore the inner-lining out of
his helmet, which had been bothering him for some time. He was
pronounced dead on arrival at the Talladega Superspeedway infield
hospital. No other drivers were involved in the crash.
During
the 1972 NASCAR season, Carling sponsored a car driven by rookie of the
year contender Larry Smith. Larry drove a jet black #92 Mercury Cyclone
and went on that year to win rookie-of-the-year honors. Carling went all
out during this venture with awesome looking pit crew uniforms, VIP
perks, and even a cheerleader for special events known as the "Carling
Darling". The next season, with Carling Black Label still sponsoring the
car, but with a red paint scheme with black lettering, Larry was killed
at Talladega in 1973.
Just One of
the Talladega Jinxs
All in all, drivers are relieved to leave Talladega. "It is," drivers say, "the most nerve-racking place we go."
That's because most tracks on the NASCAR circuit aren't considered jinxed. But Talladega has a history of mishaps and spectral occurrences long enough to make the most unsuperstitious driver rub his rabbit's foot.
The jinx started gathering speed in 1973 when rising star Larry Smith died in what appeared to be a minor crash on the banking. Track rumor had it that Smith had cut the protective inner lining out of his helmet to accommodate his long hair.
