When driver Brad Smith (resident of the Detroit area) ran his first ARCA race at Talladega in 1988, he’d never driven over 100 mph in a racecar before, let alone over 200! Over 212 ARCA starts later, Brad says family and friends are the "hidden heroes of racing” that keep him going. He has fond memories of being part of the behind-the-scenes crew that swarmed to help his father, Marv, race his 1957 Ford super stock at Michigan’s Mt. Clemens Speedway. And now they rally around Brad. In the garage and at the track, look for Brad’s family and friends to be there helping out. In addition to Marv, you’ll see Brad’s brother and sister, Jeff and Debra, Brad’s wife Lydia, and many other family members and friends. “Without our families and friends, many of us racers would not be able to live out our dreams," Smith says.