MR NICE GUY…
Apparently, in sport or business you can’t be a winner and a nice guy: this is not true, we only have to mention the name of Paul Smart to prove that point…
He was one of motorcycle racing’s true international superstars, travelling the world in pursuit of victories, but still remaining a down-to-earth man from Kent.
A testament to this being when he bookended his 1972 season by winning the two richest motorcycle races in the world at that time.The winner’s share of the combined prize funds for the Imola 200 in Italy and the Champion Spark Plug 250 at Ontario Motor Speedway, California totalled US$25,000 back then, which is the equivalent of US$165,000 today – around £125,000…
Rivals would have loved those big paydays, but not a single one of them would personally resent Paul for banking the cash. He remained one of the most popular men in the paddock until his retirement in 1977 after suffering a succession of injuries over the previous two seasons.
Although universally known as ‘Smartie’ by friends, rivals and fans alike, it was almost inevitable that he would also be nicknamed ‘Small Part’ by his mates! The part he played in motorcycle racing, however, was a big one indeed...
He rode for four different factory teams, Triumph, Kawasaki, Ducati and Suzuki and won major races for each of them as he contested Formula 750 races (the fastest class in motorcycle racing back then) in parallel careers on both sides of the Atlantic
