Smith entered karting competition at the age of 14 and won 6 championships in multiple IKF divisions.[3] In 1985 he moved up to Formula Ford scoring 4 race wins in two seasons and then advanced to Formula Super Vee.[3]
After winning the 1989 United States Formula Super Vee Championship[4] with 5 wins and 4 poles,[5] Smith raced in Indy Lights from 1990 to 1992, finishing 3rd in series points his rookie year,[6] and 2nd in 1991[7] capturing 3 wins and 5 poles along the way.[8]
In December 1992, it was announced that Smith would make his racing debut in CART / Indy Car, signing with Arciero for the 1993 season.[9] Arciero, being a sparsely budgeted team, fielded a year old, 1992 Penske PC-21/Chevrolet B, for 13 of the 16 scheduled races.[10][11]
Smith scored two top 10 finishes in the first three races of the season.[12][13] At the fourth round, the Indianapolis 500, Smith qualified twice for the race but was bumped from the field.[14] His second bumping at the hands of Didier Theys happened just 6 minutes before the end of qualifications that year, an outcome that added to the Speedway myth about The Curse of the Smiths.[15]
Smith continued to show good pace his rookie year with several top 10 qualifying performances.[16][17][18] At the Grand Prix of Portland, the 7th round of the season, Smith qualified the Arciero PC-21/Chevy B 6th on the grid between the Lolas' of Danny Sullivan and Mario Andretti.[19] Early in the race while challenging for 5th Smith retired with a broken gearbox.[20] The Penske transverse gearbox at the back of the PC-21 plagued Arciero during the 1993 season. After the Grand Prix of Portland in June, Smith retired from the next five races in a row with gearbox problems.[21] Of the 13 races Arciero entered in 1993 the team finished four races, scoring points in three of those four races.[22][23][24][25]
Mark qualified for the 1994 Indianapolis 500 and was bumped from the field by Bobby Rahal. With 14 minutes remaining in the final session, Smith made a bold attempt to qualify an ill-handling T93 Lola back-up car. His warm up lap of 221.8 mph was fast enough to make the race. On the following lap he crashed heavily into turn two.[26]
Smith's best IndyCar finish was a 5th place at the 1994 Michigan 500.[27]
^Shaw, Jeremy (11 December 1992). "Into the Light". On Track. Paul Oxman Publishing. p. 38. Next Year Smith will graduate into the Indy Car series with Arciero's rejuvenated team. He will likely go well.
^Tuttle, Tim (26 February 1993). "Moving Up". On Track. Paul Oxman Publishing. pp. 46–47. Arciero struck a deal to purchase two of the Penske-Chevy/B packages that Emerson Fittipaldi, Rick Mears and Tracy had driven for Penske Racing last season.
^*"One To Watch: Mark Smith". Autosport. UK, USA. September 9, 1993.
^Tuttle, Tim (23 April 1993). "First In Line". On Track. Paul Oxman Publishing. pp. 32–40. The unusual paint scheme on Arciero's Penske PC21-Chevy/B probably cost Mark Smith a couple of positions. Smith qualified 11th and was running well when he was black flagged on the eighth lap. Indy Car officials thought they detected a loose nose, but found nothing wrong. Smith worked his way up from 22nd and finished in the top 10 (ninth).
^Kirby, Gordon (22 April 1993). "Tracy triumphs but Mansell's back". Autosport. Motorsport Network. pp. 26–30. 10th Mark Smith (USA) Arciero/ Craftsman Penske-Chevrolet B PC21 103 laps
^*Indy Hell Week. On Track Magazine, June 18, 1993. Retrieved on November 14, 2011.
^Miller, Robin (11 July 1993). "Tracy edges Mansell for Grand Prix pole". Indianapolis Star. Al Unser Jr., in the Valvoline '93 Lola-Chevy-C starts in the seventh spot and rookie Mark Smith did a splendid job in his Craftsman '92 Penske-Chevy-B by nailing down the eighth slot. Smith bumped late on the final day of time trials at Indy, bested Bobby Rahal (10th), Mario Andretti (11th), Raul Boesel (12th) and Arie Luyendyk (15th) in year-old equipment.
^Tuttle, Tim (July 1993). "Cleveland: There were no disappointments this time out for Paul Tracy, who left the rest in his wake". On Track. Paul Oxman Publishing. Rookie Mark Smith's Arciero/Craftsman Penske PC21/Chevy/B was eighth in another respectable effort. Smith has qualified eighth or better in the last three events
^Tuttle, Tim (10 September 1993). "Road America: The Road Warrior-Shaking off the effects of a big shunt in practice, Paul Tracy ended Nigel Mansell's winning streak in decisive fashion". On Track. Paul Oxman Publishing. pp. 26–28. Rookie Mark Smith continued his solid qualifying efforts this season by taking ninth on the grid in the Craftsman/Arciero Penske PC21-Chevy/B.
^Kirby, Gordon (1 July 1993). "Mansell slips up as Fittipaldi wins". Autosport. Motorsport Network. pp. 24–26. there was quite a surprise in 6th place, in the shape of rookie Mark Smith aboard Arciero's Penske/Chevy B PC21. Smith has surprised many people with his pace in his rookie season this year.
^Kirby, Gordon (1 July 1993). "Mansell slips up as Fittipaldi wins". Autosport. Motorsport Network. pp. 24–26. Mansell led at the end of the opening lap with Fittipaldi and Johansson close behind, followed by Tracy in fourth, Andretti, Smith, Sullivan, Gordon and Unser. Poor Smith lasted only six laps before his transmission gave up, and his hopes of a strong hometown showing were dashed.
^Tuttle, Tim (8 October 1993). "Mid-Ohio: Probing Probability - Emerson Fittipaldi may be down, but he's not out of the championship fight just yet". On Track. Paul Oxman Publishing. Arciero Racing's Craftsman Penske PC21-Chevy B in on streak the team would like to be able to stop if it could find a way. The year-old Penske has eliminated Mark Smith in six straight races with an array of transmission failures. The team has tried everything to solve the problem, including building some parts in the machine shop owned by engineer Gordon Coppuck.
^Coker, John (February 2, 1991). "1991 New Zealand Grand Prix". The New Zealand Herald. US speed merchant Mark Smith took pole position in the New Zealand Grand Prix yesterday.
^"Group 2 Feature Race 2"(PDF). SVRA.com. Sportscar Vintage Racing Association. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2023-01-17. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
^"2022 SVRA Sprint Points"(PDF). svra.com. Sportscar Vintage Racing Association. Archived from the original(PDF) on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
^"2024 Points Standings". Crossflow Cup. Nor West Formula Ford Series. Archived from the original on 15 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
^"News". Crossflow Cup. Nor West Formula Ford Series. Archived from the original on 16 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
^*Phillips, David (December 12, 1988). "All the Answers (1988 Super Vee Season Review)". On Track Auto Racing Magazine. USA: 34–39.
^*Phillips, David (January 1990). "True To Form (1989 Super Vee Season Review)". On Track Auto Racing Magazine. USA: 42–45.
^*Dealey, Arley (February 9 – March 9, 1989). "Peter Jackson Formula Pacific Championship". On Track Auto Racing Magazine. USA: 35(2/9/89), 37(2/9/89), 18(2/23/89), 20(2/23/89), 42(3/9/89).
