[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 124 (Friday, September 14, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1536]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           A TRIBUTE TO STOCK CAR RACING LEGEND DUMONT SMITH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BILL POSEY

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 14, 2012

  Mr. POSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to stock car racing 
legend Dumont Smith of Satellite Beach, Florida who passed away on 
Labor Day at the age of 81.
  A hard-working building contractor by trade, Dumont Smith was born 
near Union Cross, North Carolina, and at an early age developed a love 
for racing. In 1946, at just 15 years old, Dumont began his stock car 
racing career on the dirt oval speedways in North Carolina. He won the 
first race he ever entered, after starting 44th in the field with a car 
he built in his back yard with his cousin Jimmy Caudle. Then, after 
hanging around and watching High Point, North Carolina driver Fred Harb 
work on his car at a nearby shop, Dumont refined his car-building 
skills.
  A big part of Dumont Smith's early racing was done at Bowman Gray 
Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC, where he was racing fairly regularly by 
1948. That year was also NASCAR's very first year of operation, and 
Dumont was one of its pioneer members. In fact, when Dumont surrendered 
his NASCAR license after coming to Florida to race on the independent 
tracks, it was Richard Petty who took over Dumont's registered car 
number 43.
  Dumont's racing career in Florida saw many titles and track 
championships as he raced for various car owners and excited fans 
across the state. He won the Florida State Late Model Governor's Cup in 
1967 at the Golden Gate Speedway in Tampa, the Late Model Championship 
in 1968 and 1969 at the Palm Beach Fairgrounds Speedway in West Palm 
Beach and the 1969 Late Model Championships at New Smyrna Speedway in 
New Smyrna Beach and Treasure Coast Raceway in Fort Pierce.
  At the Eau Gallie Speedway in Melbourne, a local track I once owned 
and raced on many times, Dumont won a staggering 6 late model 
championships in 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1968 and 1969. He was also the 
Platinum Coast 100 annual event winner for five years and held the 
track record in 1967. In all, his racing career in Florida lasted 
through 1976.
  As a building contractor, Dumont along with his brothers, Percy and 
Jack, plus his cousins Percy Hedgecock and Jimmy Caudle, founded 
Satellite Beach by developing most of the initial housing 
neighborhoods. Dumont actually built his first house in North Carolina 
in 1948 at the age of 17. Just the year before, he had met his wife-to-
be, Sarah. They were married in 1949, and December of 2012 would have 
been their 63rd anniversary. Dumont is survived by his wife Sarah, his 
son Lance, his daughter Linda and three grandchildren Brandon, Amber 
and Grant.
  My favorite Dumont Smith story is from the 1966 Governor's Cup, the 
year before he won. Dumont was running second to Bobby Brack with just 
a few laps to go. Instead of driving through Bobby, running him off the 
track, Dumont made a bold choice--risk second place and try to pass on 
the outside around the turn. But the track was very slick from all the 
grease and leaky oil, and Dumont lost the number two position to 
ultimately finish fourth.
  One of the spectators next to me commented that it wasn't a smart 
move; that Dumont gave up a sure second place. I simply replied that 
Dumont didn't race to finish second, he came to win. And Dumont was an 
honorable racer. He raced to win straight-up, no dirty tricks or rough 
driving. That's just one of the many qualities I liked so much about 
Dumont and why he had so many fans.

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