Praxy's World

-Smokey and his sisters grew up on small farm in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. A series of bad winters forced his family to sell everything and move to Thomasville, Georgia where Smokey's uncle (Pavlo) had a farm. When Pavlo passed, ownership of the farm was passed to Petro.

-Smokey flunked out of school in fourth grade. His father arranged for him to attend a four year, 4-H vocational program, where he excelled at improvising and optimizing mechanical solutions for field equipment. Smokey's senior project saw him modify one of his late uncle's tractors--a Vanderschutt 40--in a way that made it 10% more fuel efficient and 20% more powerful than the standard for that make and model. His teacher was so impressed that he insisted Smokey enter the 4-H tractor competition at the Georgia State Fair. He won the Supreme Junior Champion Field Tractor award. He would continue showing tractors in various competitions throughout the southeast while still helping out at the farm.

-His sisters would both get hitched in '30. Anna moved to New York City, while Natalia moved to Jacksonville, FL. Anna is still alive (Natalia passed in '77) and she keeps in touch with Smokey by sending him letters and photos of his nieces and grand nieces.

-Smokey's tinkering eventually caught the eye of tractor enthusiast--and moonshine baron--Raymond Parkway. In 31', Raymond would commission Smokey to modify his prize Ford 841 for the Southeast Regional Stock Tractor Pull Competition in Thomasville. The only catch was that the tractor had to appear to be stock. Never one to back down from a challenge, Smokey took the commission. The tractor performed so well that people were convinced that cheating was involved...but the judges could find nothing out of the ordinary. Impressed with Smokey's mechanical aptitude--and willingness to bend the rules-- He would commission Smokey to modify/repair the trippers who ran moonshine for him. When Smokey turned 11, he would switch to doing this full time under the guise of running his own garage (AKA: Smokey's Automotive Service, "The Best Dang Garage in Town").

-His father would pass in '33 and leave the farm to him and his mother. His mother re-married and left the farm in spring of '34, though she stayed in Thomasville. She would pass away in '75.

-in '35, he hired Diesel O'Twil to run moonshine for Raymond Parkway. Diesel was so good at off-road running that Smokey began teaming him up with other talented runners and scouts to handle some of Raymond's more dangerous requests. This would culminate in the creation of an elite group of scouts and trippers--the aptly named "Still Chasers"--in '36.

-in '38, Smokey sent Diesel on a solo mission to Dawsonville to find something known only as the "Phantom Still" so that Raymond could add the owner to his moonshine network. Diesel disappeared for three weeks (it was supposed to be a short scouting mission). Just about the time Smokey was thinking that he'd have to hire a replacement, Diesel reappears sporting a completely new--and expensive--silver paint job. When questioned, Diesel explained that he'd been involved in a major accident...and that it would be best if he avoided Dawsonville for the foreseeable future. He did not elaborate further.

-When Raymond Parkway founded the American Auto Racing Association in '45, Smokey bankrolled a team (Smokey's Automotive Service). He made it a point of only using one driver (some other teams would run 2-4), and he would settle on #51 as his team's number (he wanted #50, but someone had already taken it).

-In May of '50 his primary driver (Bernard Trackston) injured himself right before a major race. With all of his alts out due to various reasons, he had no choice but to sub in Hudson Longhauler, the newest--and youngest--member of the Still Chasers. Hud's performance in the race impressed Smokey so much that he offered to hire him on the spot. Hud would go on to win the Piston Cup Championship in 51, 52, and 53.

-At the end of the '53 season, Smokey would sell the team to Vincent Beltfinder (owner of Thomasville Speedway) so that he could better focus on being Hud's crew chief.

-After Hud's wreck in '54, Vincent Beltfinder would hire a second racer to finish out the season (Marvin "Chaney" Looseprings--#28) with Smokey serving as his crew chief.

-In 55', Hud returned to Thomasville, but was unceremoniously booted from the team when he failed to beat Chaney in an exhibition race. Smokey had been out of town for a wedding when all of this went down, but once he found out, he would resign from the team in protest...that is after he cussed Vincent out during a live interview and flipped a table.

-In '58, Smokey received a package from Annette Longhauler. Recognizing the last name, he opened it hoping for it to be something from Hud...but it was from Hud's mother, instead. It was a journal--hers--and a note that read "You're last person to have seen Hud. If you can get this to him, I will be forever in your debt." Despite being angry at Hud for leaving without so much as a "goodbye," he honored Annette's request and kept the journal safe. He would read it at some point...and once he learned about Hud's true parentage, he tried even harder to locate the ex racer...but to no avail.

-In 2006, he was--like everyone else in the country--watching the tie-breaker race between Lightning McQueen, Chick Hicks and Strip Weathers. When he saw that Hud was still alive AND that he was serving as the crew chief to one of the most talented, up-and-coming racers in the country...he was so proud that he cried.

-In early 2009 he would receive the first of many letters from Hud. He sent Hud his Mother's journal and a newspaper clipping about Diesel's death at the hands of the ATF in '54.

-Events of Cars 3 in 2017 as they happened.