Walter Dewey “Dub” Smith was one of the unsung heroes of racing. The father in law of Hall of Famer Bruce Brantley, Smith was the owner of a highway grading company who started putting money into racecars in the early 1950s. With Atlanta mechanic Harvey Jones turning the wrenches, Smith’s cars won many races at the Peach Bowl in the early 1960s with John Sudderth behind the wheel. In the late 1960s, Smith was part of the efforts to revive Lakewood Speedway, along with Ernie Moore and former Atlanta Mayor William B. Hartsfield.
Smith passed away in the late 1980s.