Get to Know: Al Smith Jr
January 6th, 2014 by Jaime Baker
Al Smith Jr has been an iRacing member since April of 2012, but his racing career started well before that. Before iRacing, he raced and won in go-karts for three years. He did not stop improving in his transition from real world racing to sim-racing. With nearly 400 online starts, he has 16 career oval victories to his credit on iRacing – so far.
The 26 year old from upstate, New York also competes in the Upstate Racing League on iRacing where he races his Late Model. In addition, Smith currently hosts and produces a New York-based racing league called the Upstate Racing Show.
You can learn more about Al Smith Jr in this first edition of Get to Know for 2014…
Q: How long have you been sim-racing?
A: I have been racing sim-racing for just over a year now.
Q: How did you get started in iRacing?
A: Had heard about it and had some friends that were doing it; got a steering wheel, signed-up and the rest is history.
Q: Which race car driver in any racing series do you like the most?
A: Like Tony Stewart because the man can drive and has driven just about anything he could.
Q: What type of hobbies do you do outside of iRacing?
A: Outside of iRacing I bowl, race r/c cars and am head NASCAR scorer for Devils Bowl Speedway in Vermont.
Q: What is your greatest accomplishment on iRacing?
A: Finished second in Tour Mod official championship and won a race at Talladega.
Q: What car and track combination on iRacing would you like to drive in real life?
A: I’d like to race a truck at Bristol or Martinsville
Q: What type of racing do you like to watch on TV?
A: I like to watch all sorts of racing on TV. Mostly, I watch the short track races and any of the smaller touring divisions when they are televised.
“When you wad-up a car there is no cost in fixing it. Just hit reset and look! The backup car is all set and read to roll.”
Q: How do you think your fellow iRacers see you?
A: I think they see me as a conservative, respectful driver. I do not like to take chances as I would rather finish second then wreck someone for the win.
Q: What are three things that people on iRacing probably don’t know about you?
A: I own my own business. I am a TV personality for go-kart races, and I have 15 300 games in bowling.
Q: What is your favorite racing series on iRacing and why?
A: As of late I really like running the NASCAR Class A car in official races but in hosted and league love racing the Late Model in fixed set-up.
Q: If there was one thing you could change about iRacing, what would it be?
A: I think I would change the way iRating is awarded. I know I have been an innocent bystander to someone else’s wreck multiple times and that kills my iRating. Also would like to see a way to have races progress from day to night with lights coming on and maybe a way to limit the amount of tires people can take during a race. Other than that iRacing has made me addicted to it.
Q: What is one thing that you love the most about iRacing?
A: The fact that when you wad-up a car there is no cost in fixing it. Just hit reset and look! The backup car is all set and read to roll.
Q: Overall, how do you rate your success on iRacing?
A: Overall I’d say that my overall success on iRacing doesn’t reflect my driving ability because mainly run hosted session in my own league I run called Upstate Racing League and racing with the Can-Am Series. I’m working on becoming better, but I have no complaints. It is just fun.