Radford University graduate and Giles County native Marty Smith is highly
visible in following NASCAR.


    NASCAR senior vice president Paul Brooks recently described one of his
sport's most popular up-and-comers.

    "He's young, he's hip, he's cool and he speaks to the younger generation of
fans," said Brooks, who is also president of NASCAR broadcasting.

    Brooks wasn't talking about Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Jimmie Johnson, although
the three are good friends and hang with a crowd that in recent weeks has
grown to include Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock and Kiefer Sutherland.

    The fact is, when the young guns of Nextel Cup roll into Martinsville
Speedway on Sunday, this guy won't be among the 43 drivers in the Advance
Auto Parts 500 lineup. However, after the race thousands of NASCAR fans, a
number of drivers and even a few car owners will seek out this Giles County
native's perspective.

    Marty Smith, a 1998 Radford University graduate, is one of NASCAR's most
visible reporters. The high-revving redhead's off-beat humor and
regular-guy approach also happen to resonate with one of Nextel Cup's most
coveted audiences - the 18-30 age group.

    "Marty's future in the sport is very bright," said Brooks,
who hired Smith
away from the Lynchburg News & Advance in 1999. "He is a unique
reporter who approaches the sport the same way he approaches life in
general. He just plunges in headfirst and works very hard."

    That he does.

    In addition to his weekly column on NASCAR.com, Smith is a regular on the
Speed Channel's weekly talk show, "Pit Bull" - NASCAR's answer to
ESPN's "Sports Reporters." Smith also joins driver John Andretti
a couple of Tuesdays a month on Fox Sports Net's daily racing program,
"Totally NASCAR." Every Wednesday he encourages fans to log on to
NASCAR.com to talk a little "Track Smack."

    Smith has worked obsessively over the past six years to solidify his
reputation in a sport that he admittedly wanted no part of when he was
assigned to cover the New River Valley Speedway as an intern for The
Roanoke Times.

    "I said, 'There is no way. I will not do stock-car racing. Give me
equestrian, give me golf, give me gymnastics, I don't care. Anything but
car racing,'" said Smith, who grew up playing football, basketball and
baseball.

    "About two or three weeks later, I'm in love with this stuff [auto racing].
I loved the smell. I loved the sound. I loved the people."

    Smith was hired out of Radford as a NASCAR beat writer for the Lynchburg
News & Advance. As luck would have it, one of his first assignments was
to write a feature article on Brooks, a Lynchburg native who had just been
promoted to vice president of NASCAR.

    Brooks was so impressed that he offered Smith a job as a staff writer for
NASCAR online. Smith, who was at home at the time watching a movie with his
wife, Lainie, politely declined.

    "Lainie looked at me and said, 'You can't do that, you've got to take this
job,'" Smith said.

    He called back and accepted.

    Smith's warmth and passion for the sport have since led to many career
opportunities for the NASCAR.com senior writer.

    "Every time I see Marty he always has a smile on his face and he's rushing
to his next assignment," Brooks said. "He's a hard worker, a
caring person and has made a lot of friends along the way.

    "That's a pretty good combination."

    Smith worked for NASCAR from 1999-2000, writing editorials, press releases
and updating its Web site. He worked an average of 65 hours a week while
earning little money - the reasons he originally turned the position down.

    Turner Sports acquired NASCAR.com as part of its television package and
multimedia deal in 2000. The ownership change provided Smith editorial
control over the Web site's content, making it easier for him to speak his
mind without fear of reprisal. It also offered him the chance to write his
popular weekly column.

    "The opportunities that have been afforded me because of this are
absurd,"
said Smith, who has met Kenny Chesney, Tony Hawk, Troy Aikman, Evander
Holyfield, George Clooney, Kelly Ripa, Uncle Kracker and Julia Styles.
"Now, being at a NASCAR race is kind of like an L.A. Lakers game was
20 years ago. You get an amazing array of celebrities."

    Smith lives in Charlotte and will cover 25 to 28 races this year. He
remains grounded in Southwest Virginia, returning to Giles County every few
months to see his childhood friends, college buddies and his father, Leo.

    Smith is a weekly guest on "Big Dog Sports Talk," which airs
weekdays from
3-6 p.m. on WFNR (100.7 FM). The show is hosted by fellow Radford graduate
Rick Watson, whom Smith credits with helping develop his broadcasting
skills. When Watson needed a credible NASCAR insider, the first person he
called was Smith.

    "If it's giving back to Giles County or the New River Valley,
absolutely,"
Smith said.

    "Pit Bull," which airs at 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays, tapes on
location this
weekend from Martinsville's "Souvenir Row" following the truck race.

    To maintain credibility, all of the columnists on "Pit Bull," including
Smith, are required to work independent of NASCAR.

    Although he includes Earnhardt and Johnson among his closest friends, Smith
is a straight shooter who won't hesitate to admonish a driver if necessary.

    In a recent column he applauded NASCAR's decision to penalize Earnhardt for
intentionally spinning out his car to force a caution late in the race at Bristol.

    "NASCAR sent a distinct message to all inhabitants of its ever-expanding
kingdom Wednesday afternoon: No one is bigger than the game," Smith
wrote. "They had to do this. Their credibility was at stake."

    Smith felt compelled to write the column for the very same reason.

    "He knows if he messes up, that it's my job to bust his can. And they know
that I'm going to do it," said Smith, who added that the drivers are
usually cool with his opinions as long as they are fair and impartial.

    "I've got to call it like I see, or there's no credibility."

   Marty Smith's top-five predictions for Martinsville:

    Jimmie Johnson. Has posted three straight top-10 finishes at Martinsville,
including runner-up to Jeff Gordon last October. Test went so well at
Martinsville last week, Johnson left a day early.

    Jeff Gordon. Swept both races and poles at Martinsville in 2003. A
five-time Martinsville winner, Gordon started from the top five in his past
seven races at Martinsville, where track position is crucial.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. Has scored four straight top-five finishes at
Martinsville. Career-best Martinsville run (third) came in this race one
year ago. One of four drivers to start the 2004 season with five top-10s in
the first six events.

    Tony Stewart. In 10 career races at Martinsville, has one victory (October
2000) and six top-10s. Has led five of his 10 races at Martinsville, for a
total of 346 laps. Finished sixth in this race one year ago and was third
last October, his third top-10 finish in his last four races at
Martinsville.

    Elliott Sadler. Has just one top-10 finish at Martinsville (fifth one year
ago), but is riding considerable wave of momentum following second career
Nextel Cup victory (at Texas two weeks ago). With that win, he jumped from
ninth to fifth in the 2004 points standings.

--- BBBS/LiI v4.01 Flag-5