Wood Brothers Crew Member Misses First Race In 26 Years

Mike "Andretti" Smith is a veteran crewmember for Wood Brothers Racing and hasn't missed a workday in 26 years. Until Las Vegas, where he injured his biceps handing over a second gas can for the 21 team.

Imagine working at the same job for 26 years without taking a sick day. You show up on time, work diligently, and over the years perform several jobs that help out your "crew" - gas man, jack man, tire carrier, tire changer, and even surviving team restructuring and changes. That's where "Andretti" Smith comes in.

I did everything over the wall," Smith said. "I carried from 1990 to '92, jacked from '92-94, changed from '95-05, and then gassed from '06-'14."

It was during the Las Vegas race when Smith was behind the wall handing over a second gas can when he knew something was wrong.

"I tore my biceps at the top of the shoulder and 50 percent at the elbow."

During Sunday's race at Phoenix Smith was absent from the lineup, and was asked if he felt strange not being at the track.

"Honestly, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be," Smith said. "I went to buy my little girl some T-ball pants and went to her practice. I did catch the race and made sure to watch how we did."

You're probably wondering how he got the first name of Andretti, after a world famous Indy car driver. That's not his first name. It's Mike.

Smith answers to the legendary racing name “Andretti” just as quickly as he does to his given name. It is a nickname he earned even before joining the Wood Brothers and is the result of the conclusion of a time-sensitive delivery errand.

Read the story here: http://racing.ford.com/series/stock-car-racing/news/articles/2015/08/_andretti_-smith-reflects-on-25-years-with-wood-brothers-racing.html

“When I was working for (Terry Hall’s brother) Phil Hall, I went to pick up a motor, four tires and wheels in Smithfield, N.C.,” Smith recounts. “The motor was finished late so knowing everyone was waiting on me I decided to pick up the pace on the way back. I turned into the shop driveway running 45 mph and when I slid up to the garage door where the racecar was sitting, I threw gravel into the shop sliding the truck in line with the garage door. Phil came out of the garage door scared to death and said, ‘you came in here like Michael Andretti!’ From that day on, Phil called me Andretti. When Terry asked me to come to work with the Wood Brothers, he introduced me as Andretti and it has stuck ever since.”

Smith's return to the track will hopefully happen as soon as Martinsville Speedway in two weeks on April 3rd for the STP 500.