SALISBURY, N.C. — David Smith captured the 2022 Allison Legacy Series championship despite not winning a race all season long.
Smith, who is a native of Georgia pieced together such a competitive season that he won by a mere 16 points over runner-up, Ethan Glenn.
“Not winning wasn’t the plan at all,” Smith said. “My original goal was to get two wins. I currently have 98 feature wins at tracks across the Southeast, and I was aiming to make that 100 this year.
“We won the championship by not giving up and being consistent. My dad taught me years ago to always have a plan and a backup. Plan A is to win, Plan B take what the car will give you and finish the best you can, and Plan C is to finish. We had a lot of Plan B races this year, but that just pushed me more. It was a fight all year.”
Smith earned five second-place finishes, two third-place finishes and three fourth-place efforts. Smith a seasoned veteran on the grassroots level, feels that his family has been in his corner for every moment.
“They are my biggest supporters,” said Smith. “Also, everyone who came together to make this happen. I also am thankful for the others I met while racing the Allison Legacy cars. It wasn’t easy competing alone, but the ones that helped me get through that are great people.”
The Allison Legacy Series is known for providing young drivers the experience needed to compete in NASCAR’s highest ranks, but the 39-year-old is competing for fun because he loves the sport. Winning the championship lets Smith know that he can still compete on a high level.
“We won’t quit and we won’t give up,” Smith said. “My oldest son is 10 years-old. I’ve got two years before he can drive in this series, but once he is able, he will be. The 2023 season will be for rebuilding. We didn’t know it at the time, but I’ve been fighting a bent car all season. My spinouts didn’t help it either. We purchased another car midseason, and we are going to finish it up and hopefully run some races next season.”