The Charlotte Observer du lieu suivant : Charlotte, North Carolina • G2

2G CHARLOTTE OBSERVER THURSDAY JUNE 30 2022 enough, was TRK. The company was taken private in 2019 in a deal that The Charlotte Obser- ver reported at the time could have been worth more than $734 million. ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? OR SOCCER? As much as life was tied to NASCAR, Smith and his family also flirted with potentially owning two pro teams in Charlotte. In 2018, Smith was linked to a group of potential buyers for the Carolina Panthers, although the team ulti- mately went to billionaire David Tepper. A year earlier, son Mar- Much of Bruton life was connected to NAS- CAR and the race tracks he owned, including Charlotte Motor Speedway in Con- cord.

But the billionaire, who died on June 22 at age 95, had many interests throughout his long life. Here are some key facts to know: REVVED UP FOR THE STOCK EXCHANGE Smith founded Speedway Motorsports, and in February 1995, it became the first motorsports com- pany to trade on the New York Stock Exchange. ticker symbol, appropriately cus had submitted a bid to bring a Major League Soccer team to the city that ultimately went to Tepper too. SONIC AUTOMOTIVE USED CARS Bruton Smith founded Sonic Automotive in 1997, and the auto retailer com- pany grew to be a Fortune 300 business. one of the biggest auto dealerships, with more than 160 retail dealerships in over 23 states, representing 25 automotive brands.

A CHARITABLE SIDE Smith founded a non- profit, Speedway Chil- Charities. It was launched in 1982 in mem- ory of his late son Bruton Cameron Smith, and has distributed more than $58 million to other charities. ELIZABETH TAYLOR WAS In 1977, Elizabeth Tay- lor, one of the biggest movie stars in the world, was the grand marshal of the World 600 race in Concord. Smith related what happened next to Observer reporter Scott Fowler in 2013. Smith had put her up in a condo.

The night before the race, right around mid- night, Taylor called Smith saying she needed a hair- dresser for 8 in the morn- ing. Smith made it happen. He also needed to have eight security guards watch after her she had such a strong fear of being kidnapped or robbed. was a major hand- Smith recalled. her heart, she was drinking quite a bit during her three days with ON THE STREET WITH HIS NAME Smith had a busy North Carolina road named for him Bruton Smith Bou- levard.

in Concord, right outside Charlotte and just off exit 49 of Interstate 85. It stretches from his Charlotte Motor Speed- way right past Concord Mills mall. (He had gotten the road naming in the wake of a fight with the city of Concord over his plans to add the zMax Dragway across from the Speedway. Smith eventu- ally got his way.) Adam Bell: 704-358-5696, 6 things to know about Bruton Smith BY ADAM BELL HAROLD HINSON File NASCAR track owner Bruton Smith died on June 22 at age 95. Here he poses in front of one of the signs for Bruton Smith Boulevard, which leads to Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord.

Born to a family that grew cotton, corn and wheat in rural North Car- olina, Ollen Bruton Smith grew up to be a visionary and feisty businessman and NASCAR Hall of Famer. He died on June 22, his company, Speedway Mo- torsports said. He was 95. Here is a timeline of life: March 2, 1927: Born in the Stanly County town of Oakboro. He was the youngest of nine children.

1949: Formed the Na- tional Stock Car Racing Association, an early NAS- CAR competitor that staged races in North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. 1951: Drafted into the U.S. Army during the Ko- rean War and trained as a paratrooper. Smith was never deployed overseas. 1953: Leaves Army and learns his racing organiza- tion dissolved because of mismanagement in his absence.

1959: Smith and NAS- CAR driver Curtis Turner begin construction of Charlotte Motor Speed- way, the 1.5-mile track in Concord. 1960: Speedway hosts the inaugural World 600 on June 19. The race is now known as the Coca- Cola 600, longest race of the season. 1961: Smith and speed- way file for bankruptcy due to construction debts. 1966: Opens Frontier Ford in Rockford, Illinois, his first auto dealership.

1967: Group led by businessman Richard Howard of Denver, North Carolina, brings speedway out of bankruptcy. 1975: Smith regains control of the track after gradual purchases of shares. 1982: Founded Speed- way Charities in 1982 in memory of his late son, Bruton Cameron Smith. The nonprofit has distributed more than $58 million to charities over the years. 1992: Lights are in- stalled at the speedway, setting up the first night races in May.

1994: Consolidates mo- torsports holdings to form Speedway Motorsports. 1995: Took SMI public in 1995 to become the first motorsports company to be traded at the New York Stock Exchange. The com- pany now owns 11 racing venues. 1997: Starts Sonic Auto- motive in January and takes the Charlotte-based compa- ny public that November. 2000: Sonic becomes a Fortune 500 company.

The company now has 160 retail dealerships in over 23 states. 2004: Speedway illegal- ly cuts down 166 trees around a new parking lot on the property. After being ordered to replace the trees, Smith instead sold the property. to the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame. 2007: Concord City Council voted to stop Smith from building what is now zMax Dragway.

The council backs off after he threatens to shut down the speedway and build another one elsewhere. Concord sweet- ens deal with $80 million in incentives. 2008: Concord renames the road connecting Con- cord Mills Mall and In- terstate 85 to the speedway to Bruton Smith Boulevard. 2011: Speedway installs a 16,000 square-foot high- definition video screen, then the largest in the world but since eclipsed by the screen at Texas track. 2013: Smith threatened to move fall race to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, another SMI track.

2014: Creates EchoPark Automotive, a retailer of pre-owned vehicles. 2015: Received clean bill of health after receiv- ing diagnosis for non- lymphoma. 2016: Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. June 22, 2022: Died at age 95. BRUTON SMITH TIMELINE From an NC farm to NASCAR fame and fortune Observer Staff Reports JEFF SINER Observer file photo Bruton Smith was named to the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 2006 and inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2016.

miles southeast of Char- lotte Motor Speedway. The Smith family grew cotton, corn and wheat and owned some cattle. The youngest of nine children, Smith said in 2008 that his parents us what work was all according to a Speedway Motorsports statement. I look back, that was a gift, even though I certainly think so at the time. A lot of people have that gift because they grow up working.

But if you are on a family farm, what you do. Every- thing is hard But, although first love was boxing, he also loved cars. After getting his first job at the age of 12 in a cotton mill, he soon became attracted to auto racing and, at 18, was soon promoting races at a short track near Mid- land in Cabarrus County. When he was 22, in 1949, Smith went into direct competition with NASCAR, forming the National Stock Car Racing Association, which staged races in North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. Smith was drafted into the U.S.

Army in 1951 during the Korean War. Trained as a paratrooper, Smith was never deployed overseas. After leaving the Army in 1953, he learned that mismanagement in his absence had forced his racing organization to dissolve. Undeterred, Smith con- tinued to promote races. But times were difficult.

worked for decades before he got to a place where he had a few pen- nies to rub son Marcus Smith, now presi- dent of SMI, told the Ob- server in 2016. Smith would quickly grow into the race-promo- tion game. could bluff with the best of Max Muh- leman, a former sports marketing executive in Charlotte who covered racing for the Charlotte News in the 1950s, told the Observer in 2007. could look you in the eye and say something, and be afraid he was deadly serious. And then bust out laugh- SMITH AND CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY In 1959, Smith and colleague Curtis Turner (who was also a top NAS- CAR driver) began con- struction of Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Smith worked long hours and days to have the 1.5-mile track in Concord ready for the inaugural World 600 on June 19, 1960. Smith had exhausted himself to the point that he fell asleep midway through the race, which was won by Joe Lee Johnson. Debts incurred in great part by construction prob- lems and delays put Smith and the track into bank- ruptcy two years later. He left North Carolina to open an auto dealership in Rockford, Ill. Meanwhile, a group led by business- man Richard Howard of Denver, N.C., brought the speedway out of bank- ruptcy in 1967.

Smith gradually bought back shares of the track and regained control in 1975. As NASCAR rose in popularity in the 1980s and the Smith- Wheeler tandem devel- oped Charlotte and other SMI tracks into among the more innovative sports facilities in the country. In 2011, the Charlotte speedway installed a 16,000 square-foot high- definition video screen, then the largest in the world but since eclipsed by the screen at Texas track (where Smith also built condos). track features the largest outdoor, permanent, center-hung digital display. was always on the leading edge at his tracks seats, more pomp and said NAS- CAR team owner Roger Penske.

think we all followed BRUTON, HUMPY AND NASCAR At side for most of the way was Wheeler, who was often left to figure out how to pay for his seemingly out- landish ideas. argue about Wheeler said. was Ritz Carlton; I was Holiday Smith who drink, smoke or swear was also known for his numerous feuds with NASCAR and local gov- ernments, many of which played out in public. His disputes with NAS- CAR were well document- ed. resentment toward NASCAR founder Bill France and, later, Bill France came over pow- er struggles about track acquisitions and race dates.

There was a long-going argument about whether speedway in Tex- as deserved a second date on the NASCAR schedule (it eventually got one). Smith was also rumored to want to split off from NASCAR entirely, buying off some of the best driv- ers and developing his own race series at his own tracks. the Frances and Bruton, neither one of them wanted to let the other get ahead of said former driver Darrell Waltrip. just like people in racing to be that Smith also pushed for changes in the competi- tion side of NASCAR. of the things we pushed real hard for was finishing races under green Wheeler said.

were selling tickets and expecting thrilling finishes, but if a wreck with five laps left, you see anything. the only sport that has that. needed to be changed and eventually they did it. It was so much for the CONTROVERSY OFF THE TRACK Smith was no stranger to controversies off the track. In 2004, Charlotte Motor Speedway illegally chopped down 166 trees around a new parking lot on the property.

Smith said he had received per- mission from Charlotte government officials to cut them down, some- thing they denied. After being ordered to replace the trees, Smith instead sold the property. When Concord City Council voted in 2007 to stop Smith from building what is now zMax Drag- way, he threatened to shut down the speedway and build another one (along with a dragway) some- where else. The council relented, and the dragway was eventually built ad- jacent to Charlotte Motor Speedway. In addition to an $80 million incentives deal, mainly for road improvements and drag strip noise abatement, the Concord council offered Smith something else: In 2008, the road con- necting Concord Mills Mall and Interstate 85 to the speedway was re- named Bruton Smith Bou- levard.

business, if negotiating you are Smith once said. doing men- tal battle with a person, you want to win. I think it may be that they think tougher than I am. Come right down to it, a softie kind of David Scott: JEFF SINER Observer file Bruton Smith, left, rubs his son, Marcus face and tells him that he loves him along pit road at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 30, 2021. Bruton Smith died on June 22 at age 95.

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