As a teen, Jeff Smith spent his summers on the road, turning wrenches on the late models driven by his father, the legendary Freddy Smith. Jeff still races, but he’s at the transitionary point in his life. He’s been coaching 13-year-old Wyatt Coffey. This weekend, Jeff and Wyatt will take on the $10,000-to-win Save A Lot American All-Star Series race at Natural Bridge Speedway this Saturday.
“It’s making the transition out of the seat a little easier,” Jeff said of coaching Wyatt. “I still have the itch to scratch [to race] once in a while. But I’ve enjoyed teaching him, showing him things I’ve learned over the years to shorten his learning curve.”
Growing up, Jeff said his mother wouldn’t let him race until he graduated high school. While more than a thing or two rubbed off on him from crewing for his father, it didn’t mean that when Jeff started racing it went smoothly.
“I tore up two race cars pretty good,” Jeff said of his first season of racing. “The second one was a pretty nasty wreck. I came back the next year. We put a new car together over the winter. My first race back was my first feature win.”
Forty years later, he hopes to impart some wisdom upon Wyatt as his career winds up.
“Almost every race there’s some type of lesson that I try to teach him,” Jeff said of coaching Wyatt. “It’s good to have someone who will listen and follow instructions. A lot of kids think they know better. Wyatt’s not that way. He’s very coachable.”
Jeff might be onto something. Last year Wyatt won 15 features in 602 late model racing, with championships in the Mid-East 602 Late Models, Elite Racing Series and at Natural Bridge Speedway. Now Wyatt’s started to race 604 late models.
One of his biggest challenges yet comes this Saturday, June 13, at Natural Bridge Speedway. There they’ll be hosting the Save A Lot American All-Star Series. The feature pays $10,000 to win, so expect the heavy hitters, but don’t be surprised if one of those names near the top of the scoreboard is Wyatt Coffey. While Jeff humbly says qualifying for the feature and finishing in the top 10 would qualify as a good night, Wyatt has already shown signs of promise in his short racing career.
Outside Groove Note of Transparency: Outside Groove is a sponsor of the American All-Star Series. The American All-Star Series paid for the production of this article. The content is not subject to the approval of the American All-Star Series.
The Outside Groove Executive Editor has covered motorsports since 2000. His many awards include the 2019 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Jim Hunter Writer of the Year and the 2013 Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism.
