Nathan "Smokey" Boutwell

Smokey Boutwell’s list of racing accomplishments is a long one. He’s raced as far north as Canada, where he’s won the Canadian/American Championship, and as far south as Florida, where he competed in the 1964 Daytona 500. He’s won championships at Thompson and Stafford in Connecticut, The Pines and West Peabody in Massachusetts, Hudson, NH, and Troy/Menards, NY, where he was the 1960 Empire State Champion. He’s also raced at Dover, Star, Lee, Catamount Stadium, Airbourne Park, Oswego, Thunder Road, Beach Ridge, Seekonk, and Claremont.
Smokey has driven midgets, stock cars, supers, and sprints, finding success at each stop along the way. Boutwell won 56 races in 1956 alone. In 1959, he was inducted into the Oilzum Hall of Fame.
Dave Dion grew up in the town next to Smokey, and always admired his “never quit” attitude.
Smokey had a strong fan following, and he was a first class gentleman both on and off the track. His son, Nate, Jr. remembers one race, however, when Smokey wasn’t a gentleman. Oscar Ridlon was the promoter at Hudson, where Smokey had been dominating. Oscar placed a bounty on Smokey, who, according to Nate, was hit by “every car in the field” during the heat race. Payback came during the feature, when Smokey started shotgun. He not only won, but managed to hit every car running as he worked his way through the pack.
  . . . from the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame

Nate Finished third in the Oswego Classic driving Ed Bowley's Flyin'-5 in 1961 behind Art Bennett and Nolan Swift. One week prior to that he was second to Swift in a 50 lapper.

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