The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • 35

'A Peek Behind Bruton Smith's Mask THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER Monday May 24 1982 5D 44 INVEST IN YOURSELF 1 IRA's are great but completing your college degree might be a better invest- ment We can help put your training expe rience and past education together toward an accredited degree' EXTERNAL COLLEGE DEGREE CENTER: (a non-profit educational serlice) 525-1163 CALL 5252804 ANYTIME FOR ZMINUTE RECORDED EDUCATIONAL MESSAGE (06 '7' WHAT'S A- HEAT PUMP? CALL 525-28134 ANYTIME FOR 2411NUTE RECORDED EDUCATIONAL MESSAGE tte ON IIVIMI CACICANAGE1 UNCIAL ELECTRIC CO 9 Wiodlowi Gft Ten i 229 Chariot NC 28210 RWEATHEATRON NEAT PUMP Nitimpirka Ang Home Pump The Week The Speedway Had Instant Latex Turf Charlotte Motor Speedway President Humpy Wheeler says Bruton Smith his boss has an eye for even small details and is wont to make them right regardless of cost Last May as Wheeler tells it dry weather had turned the six acres of grass in front of the speedway's main grandstand a sickly brown It was World 600 week when Smith particularly likes to see green green grass "He really was on my case about it being so bad looking" Wheeler said So he brought in a painter who painted half the field green "It looked just like the Masters" Wheeler said and when Smith arrived the following morning he asked what happened "I said 'Well It just turned green Don't worry about how' Wheeler said "He said 'You painted it' I said Ilrep' But when Smith asked about the other half Wheeler said he didn't have another $1000 in the budget to finish the job "He said 'You got It' said Wheeler who brought the painter back "It looked absolutely beautiful People thought we had been manicuring it" Dick Stil ley 4t4(4-3(4--0tt4-4-3(41-4(-4-341444i(-tz-44-341 APPLES FOR SALE! ti: 1 $2995oo -7-1 APPLE 11 Plus 48K APPLE HI 128K co3 TT Disk 11 Drive winterfa ce APPLE III 12" Green Screen 11 12" Green Screen Zenith Monitor Built-in Disk Drive SAVE OVER $55Ce Retail $2354 SAVE OVER S7401" Retail 83744 CALL US COLLECT BEFORE YOU BUY! HAYES COMPUTER SYSTEMS d9A9V52r1Puter Don Brantley Mgr I I Id lit AiM A a0 1 MMill A MONROE NC FoR MORE INFORMATION kr MONDAY-FRIDAY CALL COLLECT (704) 289-4080 sal ends 530 HAYES COMPUTER SYSTEMS niter Don Brantley Mgr 313 MAIN ST MONROE NC Foil MORE INFORMATION MONDAY-FRIDAY CALL COLLECT (704) 289-4080 Sato ends 530 Continued from Previous Page Smith was elected speedway chairman in the mid1970s In 1978 little more than 10 years after having left Charlotte under the cloud of the speedway's financial problems he moved back to the city where he had control of the racing oval and owned two auto dealerships (At that time he also owned Dodge Country) In explaining Smith's success Wheeler credits his daring his lack of fear his unwavering willingness to act on his convictions Graham Harwood senior vice president at Charlotte's NC Federal Savings Loan Association where Smith is the largest shareholder credits Smith's ability to spot trends and market changes "He has the ability to make business decisions that are correct for the future" Harwood said "He has a business vision of what the buying public and the consumer will be like in years to come and structures his businesses for that" Smith simply says he learned how to work hard For that he credits his father JaMes an Oakboro farmer No one disputes his work ethic And Ford's Slough calls him a workaholic While that may be one ingredient in the success it is also part of what some see as Smith's major weakness "He's not an easy man to work for" Wheeler admits "He's a man who wants it done absolutely right and near perfect He just won't stand for it if it's not that way "He cares about three things" Wheeler continued it's done first class that it's done better than anybody else can do it and that it makes money just 'about in that order That's the reverse of a lot of businessmen His great strength is his tenacity and daring But I think he goes too hard I think he probably needs to let up a little" Smith said that assessment is pretty much on tar get "I have a weakness of believing that whatever we're going to do if it can possibly be done in a week then do it" he said "I expect that out of people I get some criticism that maybe I expect the impossible Maybe I am guilty of that" Some wonder about where Smith's money came from questions traced to the speed with which Smith made his money and perhaps to some bitterness left over from the struggle for control of the speedway "I know exactly where his money comes from" said builder Turner "He worked like hell He was very smart and he made it on his own "He made a lot of money in a hurry He did it by 'being smart He made several million in Houston buying and selling land and he made a lot of money in the stock market by doing just what he's doing now" said Turner referring to the Republic Bank and PCA deals Smith pointed out that because of his business dealings he has come under scrutiny from banks auto manufacturers and others and passed muster "There are a lot of people including banks probably know as much about me as my mother does" he said Smith also has had to cope with personal tragedy Two years ago 7-month-old Bruton Smith Jr strangled in his crib after his garment became caught on a crib ornament The millionaire-businessman father who says his family is his greatest asset got a faraway almost glazed look in his eyes when asked how he coped with that tragedy The huge right hand first enveloped then crushed the now-empty Tab can A suddenly subdued Bruton Smith said hoarsely "There is a grief you can't explain unless you've been there It is probably the YOUR FUTURE STARTS JUNE 15th JOIN SCORES OF CHARLOTTE BUSINESS LEADERS WHO HAVE ALREADY REGISTERED FOR AMA's FIRST TELECONFERENCE "STRATEGIES FOR THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES" Featuring superplanner DR MICHAEL KAMI Former Strategic Planner for IBM and XEROX WHEN: Tuesday June 15 1982 800 am to 12 noon Eastern Time most horrible thing that can ever happen to a parent' I can't think of anything worse" Quickly then he switched the subject Though admitting that business is "his golf" he does have outside interests: travel hunting tennis and of course racing which combines business and pleasure "I don't want to go around touting that I'm a rich man" Smith said "But I think it's a shame if somebody makes a few dollars then goes through life not learning how to enjoy it I know how to live and live good If somebody makes money they ought to take a hard look at what they are doing if they are not going to enjoy it" His enjoyment appears genuine and he gives no sign that he's about to do anything but continue to plow ahead His acquisitions and sometimes quick profitable turnarounds have invited comparisons to some of the country's well-known takeover artists the Carl Mans the David Murdocks the Harry Singletons But when asked where he sees himself in another five years Smith doesn't talk about building a conglomerate or expanding his business empire He talks about a charity event "In five years I see our World 600 Charity Ball raising $250000 for children's charities" Smith said "It'll raise about $44000 this year I hope I can do something worthwhile in business achieve something that I can be as proud of as I will be of that I will be working on it I promise you that" Once again while being specific about his hopes for the charity ball he has only hinted at down-theroad business moves Even Wheeler whose ties to Smith go back more than 25 years and who by most accounts knows him best says he's never sure exactly what is behind the almost always placid mask It is a mask that like the face of a poker player conveys a sense of total control and fends off those who would violate the privacy "I've thought at times that I knew what he was thinking but I didn't" Wheeler said "I don't think anybody does We're personal friends but sometimes I don't know where he's coming from" WHERE: WTV1-TV 42 Cnhieum Dr Challotte NC 28205 Invest 4 hours of your future to see hear and talk with Dr Michael Karni via acombined wide video screen telephone hookup Brought to you live via satellite REGISTRATION FEE INCLUDES CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST AND TELECONFERENCE MEETING MATERIALS REGISTRATION FEES: Individual: $115 (AMA Member) $135 (Non Member) HOW TO REGISTER: CALL TOLL FREE: CAROLYN WHITING (800) 241-5475 5 Person Team: Sson tom Member) sboo (Non Member) i LEARN PLANNING STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE THE PRODUCTIVITY OF YOUR DEPARTMENT DIVISION OR ORGANIZATION! AMA-5 AMERICAN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATIONS Colony Square Plaza Level Atlanta GA 30361 (800) 2415475 Get Cash! Two lines three days $3 Sell qualified items you don't need at low Nifty Thrifty rates Call 377-5555 Honorable Howard Baker Majority Leader United States Senate Washington DC 20510 Honorable Thomas O'Neill Jr Speaker US House of Representatives Washington DC 20515 ip rtiT 1 '1 -e l'''' 1:: gor i' 1 1 37-31'- 7 i -tart17 lorn 144 Ai 4 A 4 044J 4 i 0 t'l 0 nr" t41 i l'''''S 4 VW 41 t- 44 I It 4 I I 1 ti- A 4 '14 ti''441t:) N'N 1 i A0' '1st- 4 tf 4- --4-y AO 1 "4 iV'''''-1' I tit 11 1 312('' 4 0 tottica4 --n 4421" '1 Joz" l'irtto' c--40 9 9 :74 II I ID4a 4m 1 14 I 4 rai a 00414 3't-' 1 i 1 te ger" le zi4 rail: kc--441 4t 114 0 l'''t''' c'' $4-- -44' i '''''4 "s-'-f714 ''''t i 1So r'71174-4 o' 'i 2 4" '2' 'yt uz 1 't 'z El- ti(- 1Pc AZ 7:1 1 I'v''- ga I- -( 1 vo0Irti" "0 1 '4 4- 41' i' O'r'4'i ''17 ''7 t'' 4rt'''S "t4 114 47 4 LOc4 4 titt I el 1''" '4 P' Alt -1 1 '4 et- tt''' 1 64 44 otPt IA 4 Itoli 'IV 't 4141 )tv V410 -a-1 i -)ges pe 1o r-- it I :71: "i'''''''''' It- IlimL 'Nwet- i 1x ''''''el 1'Vl'u-lit'--4-44wA1' s' 77 'flit' 1' iti 'ff i' 14011 4 1 '11'- 41-- elviolt 122 t-14' 0) 7 Ai 24414611114 i- ammo awon win ii01- 1 or bo 6eittlemt4 We hoe tw amallity to owt to eamtitta Cottpamteit aad Seitatols to el4o somithittl to Itatole the Will oi the (Image AmeAicatt to a It Aolui lot most oi owt cotuttAgss ailovide ItomeowneAdti liaL awl sem as the AMeAltalt Zlead OCIAWL that Zleapt a 1114 SpeakA Seam 13aket pa hotel leadeullip positiota which 9ive pa the to eilitectth giolts ttecessaAy to We the Atgaitalt Olean We lutotv fizz 2sizeapt ca ae (laved thmaylt Fla comptitpwit cwl 404 6ettdepteit save the Awltut Zzeapt oi ItomeoloteAship Sinced NAME CITY Please clip this letter and mail it to Washington Paid for by Friends of the American Dream 4 tivmhp0 logidlit4 110 lir 110 110 IP liA1eAl 44114 4 elite 6 11111 111110000' lottmon00 '11 41111mmunoolo 1111111111111111111111 11111111111M00111 141 111111111111111111111' "11 111101001110 1111141100 '11111111110 1111111111m0111 111111111m00111 1111111NIMMENI101 11111111m10111.