OXFORD – A professional driver for more than half of his life, Oxford’s Rusty Smith continues to improve.

Smith captured his second straight track championship at Spencer Speedway this past season, a title that also carried the weight of the NASCAR banner. As a NASCAR-affiliated track, Spencer Speedway’s champions earned a trip to the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards and the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Series Awards Dec. 13-14 at the Charlotte Convention Center in North Carolina.

“It was a pretty elaborate thing,” Smith said of the evening. “It was broadcasted on the Internet...it was pretty cool.”

Smith and his wife Julie attended the black tie affair where Smith was representing Spencer Speedway as a two-time defending champion. Smith wasn’t at every points race at the Rochester-based track this season, but when he was, he was running near the front.