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Rosemary Smith, Trailblazing Irish Rally Driver, Dies at 86
Ireland is mourning the loss of a national racing icon, pioneering rally driver Rosemary Smith, who passed away on December 5th at age 86 after a battle with cancer. Over her barrier-breaking career spanning nearly 30 years, Smith cemented herself as one of the greatest rally racers of her era, beating top male drivers and thriving in the male-dominated world of motorsports thanks to her steely resolve. She will forever be remembered as an inspiration to women drivers across the globe.
A Budding Designer Turned Racing Prodigy
Born in Dublin on August 7th, 1937, Rosemary Smith seemed destined for a career in fashion rather than racing fast cars at first. She trained as a dress designer in her youth, but caught the racing bug early on as a rally co-driver. Discovering she preferred driving to navigating, Smith joined British carmaker Rootes Group's racing team program. Her raw talent behind the wheel quickly became undeniable.
In 1958, Smith and British physicist co-driver Valerie Domleo captured their first major victory, winning the grueling four-day Tulip Rally in the Netherlands. Racing a Hillman Imp amidst 159 competitors across 16 countries, the daring duo triumphed in a field dominated by male drivers. It was merely the first of Smith's history-making wins.
Shattering Glass Ceilings on Rally Circuits
For over 20 years, Smith either won or claimed ladies’ awards in nearly every major European rally competition - a remarkable feat in the 1960s and 70s era when rally racing was almost exclusively a men’s sport. She clinched ladies’ awards at Rally Scotland, Circuit of Ireland Rally, Alpine Rally and more, while capturing coveted first-place finishes at the 1965 Tulip Rally and 1969 Cork 20 Rally outright.
After being controversially disqualified from the 1966 Monte Carlo Rally, Smith had a chance to showcase her talents to the world as a guest on What’s My Line? – successfully stumping the celebrity panelists. This cemented her status as a trailblazer.
Passing the Torch as Mentor to Future Generations
Well into her 50s and 60s, while most drivers stepped back, Smith continued rallying and racking up awards. As the years progressed, she increasingly focused on mentoring upcoming women racers as her lasting legacy. In 2017 at age 79, Smith made history yet again as the oldest driver to race a Formula One exhibition car, completing test drives in a 800-bhp Renault.
Rosemary Smith was a fighter, pioneer and consummate racer who overcame daunting odds to excel on Europe’s toughest circuits. Irish racing owes its distinction to her tenacity and greatness behind the wheel. Though she has passed, her fighting spirit lives on in every woman inspired to take the wheel thanks to her decades of barrier-shattering victories.
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