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Smokey Boutwell’s list of racing accomplishments is a long one.
He’s raced as far north as Canada, where he’s won the
Canadian/American Championship, and as far south as Florida, where
he competed in the 1964 Daytona 500. He’s won championships at
Thompson and Stafford in Connecticut, The Pines and West Peabody
in Massachusetts, Hudson, NH, and Troy/Menards, NY, where he was
the 1960 Empire State Champion. He’s also raced at Dover, Star,
Lee, Catamount Stadium, Airbourne Park, Thunder Road, Beach Ridge,
Seekonk, and Claremont.
Smokey has driven midgets, stock cars, supers, and sprints, finding
success at each stop along the way. Boutwell won 56 races in 1956
alone. In 1959, he was inducted into the Oilzum Hall of Fame.
Dave Dion grew up in the town next to Smokey, and always
admired his “never quit” attitude.
Smokey had a strong fan following, and he was a first class
gentleman both on and off the track. His son, Nate, Jr. remembers
one race, however, when Smokey wasn’t a gentleman. Oscar Ridlon was
the promoter at Hudson, where Smokey had been dominating. Oscar
placed a bounty on Smokey, who, according to Nate, was hit by “every
car in the field” during the heat race. Payback came during the
feature, when Smokey started shotgun. He not only won, but managed
to hit every car running as he worked his way through the pack |
