In Defense of Regan Smith

 In Defense of Regan Smith

By Brian H Cotnoir   

In the entire history of NASCAR there have been many drivers whose careers suffered huge setbacks due to circumstances outside of their control.  Wendell Scott, Tim Richmond, Carl Long, Michael Waltrip, and Ross Chastain have all suffered some major setbacks in their career, but I don't think any driver has had more trouble--not of their own making--this century than former NASCAR driver and current commentator, Regan Smith! When you look at NASCAR drivers who have had their careers spoiled, there is usually a clear reason:   Wendell Scott was initially denied his first--and only--career victory due to a racism, Tim Richmond was suspended from NASCAR because he did not want to reveal his AIDS diagnosis, Carl Long & Michael Waltrip got caught cheating big-time and faced the heaviest fines in the sports history, and Ross Chastain almost had his entire career derailed due to a shady sponsorship deal, but as for Regan Smith....he didn't do much of anything, and suffered a number of setbacks and impediments to his racing career!

Smith's NASCAR career got off to an inauspicious start as he ran part-time in the NASCAR Trucks and Grand National Series starting in 2002.  His first full-time season in NASCAR came during the 2006 season, where he'd race for Team Rensi in the Grand National Series.  That year he only scored one Top 10 finish and finished 20th in the Points Standings.  The following season he'd jump ship to the newly named Ginn Racing.   The former MB2 Motorsports would see Smith run full-time in the NASCAR Grand National Series and he'd share the #01 car in the Cup Series with NASCAR Legend Mark Martin.   After failing to qualify for the 2007 Daytona 500, Regan Smith would make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway; this was also the debut race of the NASCAR Car of Tomorrow.  It was very apparent that Regan Smith was off pace.  While Mark Martin was scoring Top 5's and Top 10's in the same car (and nearly winning the Daytona 500), the best finish Smith could muster was a 24th at Talladega.  Due to some unscrupulous business practices by Bobby Ginn, his team would merge with the declining Dale Earnhardt Incorporated halfway through the season.  After only 6 starts in the Cup Series, Regan Smith would have to wait until next year to get back into a Cup Series car.   Due to the merger, he also lost his Grand National Series ride too and had to run a handful of Truck Series races for Morgan-Dollar Motorsports.

Smith really DID win that race

In 2008, Smith got another shot in the Cup Series.  He was announced as the full-time driver of the #01 car at DEI (except for the road course races where he replaced by road course ringer, Ron Fellows).  Smith shocked the racing world when he passed Tony Stewart coming to the line at Talladega to claim his first victory in the Cup Series...however, due to lack of clarity on the rules of going below the yellow line on the last lap, Smith's pass on Tony Stewart was deemed illegal by NASCAR despite being forced below the double-yellow lines.  It is still regarded as one of the most egregious scoring errors in NASCAR History, and many--myself included--believe Regan Smith is the real winner of that race.   Despite a dreadful season that saw him score no Top 10 finishes and finishing 34th in the final drivers' standings Smith still took home Rookie of the Year honors for the 2008 season.  

The following year Smith would make the switch to the Colorado-based Furniture Row Team running a partial schedule.   Smith would continue to grow and be more successful with Furniture Row, and in 2011 Smith scored his and Furniture Row Racing's first career win at the prestigious Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.   He also scored a Top 3 at the Brickyard 400 that season and scored a career high 26th in the Final Points Standings.   The 2012 season yielded similar results, but Smith would unfortunately be dropped by Furniture Row towards the end of the season and was replaced by 2004 Cup Series Champion, Kurt Busch.   Smith's sudden release from Furniture Row Racing did lead to a surprising ride offer as he would be tapped to substitute for Dale Earnhardt Jr. for two races at Charlotte and Kansas while he was recovering from concussion side effects.    Smith would also run the final two races of the season for Phoenix Racing.  Despite not having a ride for 2 races, Smith improved his best career points finish to 24th place.

Smith would take a step back to the Grand National Series, running three full-time seasons for the Powerhouse JR Motorsports team.  At JR Motorsports, he'd win 6 races in 3 seasons and was a constant championship contender, finishing 3rd, 2nd, and 4th in the final drivers' standings.    During his time back in the Grand National Series, Smith had frequent run-ins with young developing drivers.   While leading the 2013 season opening race at Daytona, he would be turned into the wall by Brad Keselowski coming to the line.   In 2015, Smith was involved in a physical altercation with Ty Dillon following the race at Watkins Glen.   While Smith was contending for wins and championships in the Grand National Series, he never could quite reach the mountain top, especially when competing with teammate Chase Elliott. 

Smith would never get another legit full-time chance in the Cup Series.  His last full-time ride in the NASCAR Cup Series was in 2016 when he raced for the underfunded Tommy Baldwin Racing team.    His best finish that season was a 3rd place at Pocono during a fog-shortened race.  Smith would find a niche in the NASCAR garage as a "Super-Sub".  In addition to subbing for Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Kurt Busch (oh the irony!), he would also fill in a race for Kyle Larson, Aric Almirola, and Kasey Kahne.  In fact, between 2012 and 2018, Regan Smith made 28 starts as a substitute driver for 6 different NASCAR Cup Series Teams!  This proves that Smith was cherished as a reliable and professional driver in the Cup Series.

Regan Smith is one of the best NASCAR journeymen of this century.   He landed rides (both full-time and part-time) with some of the Best Teams in the Cup Series and Xfinity Series, and even though he did not have the same success as some of his teammates, he could always be counted on as a dependable and consistent driver.  He is certainly not a bust!