By Lois Pollard-Grant

Western Speedway has been a popular home to numerous racing families over the past 50 years - and the Smith family is one.

Making up the Smith clan are Roy and Chuck (Diana) Smith and their sons, Gary and Aaron.

Roy's big brother, Al (Allan) Smith, also raced, as have other family members. Al was the first to start what was to become the Smith family tradition.

He raced stock cars in the 1950's before graduating to the powerful supermodifieds. Running in the Canadian American Modified Racing Association (CAMRA) in the 1960's, Al was a perennial winner throughout the Northwest for many years.

Roy launched his racing career in 1964. "I remember," he said, "my first race car was a 1950 Ford. Chuck drove it back and forth to work - until we turned it into a stockcar!"

Roy raced supermodifieds for a number of years, and behind the wheel of Geoff Vantreight's "Daffodil Special", he captured many Pacific Northwest championships.

He also drove to four NASCAR Winston West championships, and in the Daytona 500, the crown jewel of NASCAR racing, Roy had a very commendable top ten finish in 1982.

Gary Smith, like his father, started out in go-karts; Gary at a very young age.

Roy recalled, with a chuckle, "when Gary was about three, he pulled into the pits during a race because his nose was running - so we had to wipe his nose and send him back out."

"My dad and mom introduced me to racing," Gary said, "but never pushed me into it. They believed I should make up my own mind."

In his first year in IMCA modifieds, he swept the boards - winning championships at Western Speedway, Cassidy Speedway and the Island Series.

Gary's NASCAR Northwest Tour debut in 1995, produced a third in championship points and in the NASCAR Winston West circuit, the following year, he was named Rookie of the Year.

Through this period of Gary's career, Roy acted as his manager and advisor.

A memorable moment in the careers of father and son came when they raced against each other in Monroe in 1997.

"It was a dream I'd had since I was a kid," Gary said.

"I really enjoyed that race," Roy added. "I hadn't driven for awhile but within a few laps I felt comfortable."

"There was a part of that race that Gary was leading and I was running second - and catching him."

In 1998, Gary (in the Wade Racing car) had the opportunity to run in a NASCAR Winston Cup Event in Japan, with race organizers selling laps to help Gary out.

The Victoria racing community in 1982 had also raised money to send Roy to the Daytona 500.

Gary gives a lot of credit to his grandparents, Jim (Sr.) and Amanda Mathews, who encouraged him to get into racing.

"My granddad was always working on my karts," Gary said. "Dad was away racing a lot - so I had my granddad.

Jim Mathews (Sr) started the Island's first go-kart club - Capital City Go Karts.

It's apparent that karting flows through the family veins - Gary's uncle Jimmy Mathews, was also a winning kart driver, as well as a successful stockcar racer.

Aaron Smith ran karts for several years. Then on his first outing at Western Speedway, and in true Smith style, Aaron won the race - a 200-lap Enduro event.

"I just wish," Roy said, 'that Aaron could have had the chance to go racing because I think he would have been good - we just couldn't afford to help him out financially."

Chuck, who grew up in the same Victoria neighborhood as her husband, is a staunch supporter of her family's love affair with racing.

"Racing," she said, "besides keeping older people young, has provided the opportunity for us to be together a lot - and certainly we have shared a lot of laughs and good memories."

Chuck tells of when Aaron first started kart racing - "he was so busy waving to his fans (which included his grandma) in the stands, that he drove off the track."

Gary's son, Mark (9) is expressing interest in getting into go-karts.

"Like my dad," Gary said, "I will not push Mark into racing. I am willing to help him, but he has to make up his own mind."

"It's exciting," Gary added, "because my dad wants to help too."

And so the Smith family tradition continues….