DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Oxford native Rusty Smith closed out one chapter of his racing career with the equivalent of a walk-off win as he captured a record third straight track title at Upstate New York’s Spencer Speedway this past season.
Smith , became the first driver in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series era at Spencer to win three titles in a row.
“I didn’t know that until they announced it at the [Spencer] banquet,” Smith said. “It’s pretty cool when you stop and think about it.”
Smith’s first two Spencer titles were earned in a car fielded by Greg Frutchey, but Frutchey switched his focus for 2014 to support his son’s budding racing career. Smith and his crew members decided to move forward together and build their own car.
The 37-year-old made a smooth transition to driver/owner as he piloted the No. 34 Blueox Chevrolet to four wins and top fives in all 14 starts at the half-mile asphalt paperclip near Williamson, N.Y.
“We went up there and backed it all up (the first two titles) with our own car, and that was a big thing,” Smith said. “That made it special.”
The high watermark of the season came when Smith took the checkered flag in a special double-point 60 lap feature on Aug. 8, a date that marked 60 years of auto racing at the facility. Many longtime former competitors, including 1982 track champion and NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee Jerry Cook, were in attendance to mark the occasion.
