Two foundations of NASCAR coverage for the Southern Standard passed away this week, one a well-known lawyer, the other a popular civic leader and nurseryman.Bernard K. Smith, 75, and Frank Rice, 72, both passed away Friday – the men leading contributor’s for the Southern Standard’s Victory Lane magazine that thrived during the 1990s. In addition to partnering with Rice for coverage of numerous NASCAR events ranging in venues from Bristol to Daytona, Smith also penned his racing column, Down in the Pits for many years – the column becoming a staple of Standard sports coverage for a decade.For Smith, his knowledge of racing came from hands-on work behind the wheel of a race car. Smith raced at an early age.