Smith was a key figure during NASCARs expansion in the 1990s as the sport began to transition away from a Southeast-driven sport to one with more of a national focus. The service for Smith the Charlotte Speedway builder, race promoter and billionaire auto dealer was held at Central Church of God and was a celebration of the life of the Oakboro native and Charlotte resident. On behalf of the France family and all of NASCAR, I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Bruton Smith, a giant of our sport.. A trailblazer in countless ways.We pay tribute to Bruton Smith's life and legacy. He always treated me like an equal as he taught me lessons about business and life. Bruton Smith, a key promoter and track operator and a pioneer in auto racing, died at 95, NASCAR reportedand Speedway Motorsports Inc. announced Wednesday afternoon. NASCAR Hall of Famer Bruton Smith dies at 95 - NBC Sports Stroll to race in Bahrain after missing F1 testing, AlphaTauri denies talk of sale by Red Bull, Everything you need to know about F1's 2023 season, Bahrain rights group urges F1 drivers to speak up. Smith, executive chairman of BMS parent company, dies Smith began promoting dirt-track races in North Carolina as an 18-year-old. His son, Marcus, the current president and CEO, on Tuesday posted a tribute to his father on social media: "I had a wonderful Father's Day weekend. The whole idea at that time was that I was going to be a race car driver, Smith later recalled, according to the Speedway Motorsports statement. Funeral arrangements were pending. Our Founder O. Bruton Smith (1927 - 2022) Directors Marcus G. Smith David Bruton Smith The previous year, he overcame a case of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, receiving a clean bill of health after surgery during the summer of 2015. The youngest of nine children, Smith said in 2008 that his parents taught us what work was all about, according to a Speedway Motorsports statement. Born March 2, 1927, on a farm in Oakboro, N.C., a small town 30 miles east of Charlotte, Ollen Bruton Smith was the youngest of nine children. Smiths reach, however, extended beyond NASCAR. I want to put something on so regardless who won the race, it will be a memorable experience. All Rights Reserved. Astronauts and artists. Speedway Motorsports founder Bruton Smith dies at 95 - KY3 O. Bruton Smith & family - Forbes Stock car maven O. Bruton Smith attended his first auto race at age 8, promoted events on a dirt track in Midland, North Carolina as a teen, and opened the Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1960 at age 33. Jim France called Smith a giant of a sport., Everyone knows what hes done for motorsports, NHRA and NASCAR," said legendary drag racer John Force. 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 connecting Concord Mills Mall and Interstate 85 to the speedway was renamed Bruton Smith Boulevard. One of NASCAR's most legendary figures, Smith, pictured above in 2010, gave up his dream of being a race car driver to become a force to be reckoned with on the business side. Ollen Bruton Smith, founder of Speedway Motorsports Inc. and one of the most forward-thinking track operators died Wednesday at age 95. Smith, a native of. Bruton Smith and his son, Marcus," Caldwell . Celebrating Bruton Smith, NASCAR's trailblazing tycoon He is the son of SMI CEO Bruton Smith . The Coca-Cola 600 to this day is considered a crown jewel on the NASCAR calendar. Everyone knows what he's done for motorsports, @NHRA & @NASCAR. O. Bruton Smith, who emerged from rural North Carolina and parlayed his love of motorsports into becoming a NASCAR Hall of Famer and one of its most eccentric and successful promoters, died Wednesday. Although he battled numerous health problems in his 80s, Smith remained very involved in the operation of his automobile businesses and speedways, often declaring he would never retire. Smith assumed control of several other tracks, including Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and formed Speedway Motorsports, Inc. to run the facilities. I love the racing business, he said at the time. [2], Smith assumed theposition as president, chief operating officer and director of SMI on May 28, 2009 after H.A. CHARLOTTE, N.C. ( WJHL) Bruton Smith, founder and executive chairman of Speedway Motorsports, died Wednesday of natural causes, according to a press release from the company. Im a frustrated builder who had a knack for promoting races, and its been fun to always try and push the sport to greater heights for the fans, Smith told the Associated Press in 2015. All registered. Remembering NASCAR Hall of Famer Bruton Smith. Along with former SMI president H.A. Discovery Company. Smith died Wednesday at age 95. Smiths Speedway Motorsports owns 11 NASCAR tracks: Charlotte, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Bristol, New Hampshire, Texas, Kentucky and Sonoma (Calif.), as well as Dover, Delaware, Nashville and North Wilkesboro. https://t.co/wsbrQMo7UM, Three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart, who began his racing career in Indiana open-wheel cars with dreams of competing in the Indianapolis 500, called Smith a pioneer., Bruton Smith was a pioneer who helped make motorsports mainstream and allowed guys like me to make a living doing what we love, Stewart tweeted. But if you are on a family farm, thats what you do. He took NASCAR and the tracks to some really unique places. Born Ollen Bruton Smith in 1927, the North Carolinian worked as a track promoter before making his mark designing and building Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile oval now known for annually hosting NASCARs longest race at 600 miles in length. Died: June 22, 2022 ( Who else died on June 22?) Smith instead became an entrepreneur -- promoting his first race at age 18 -- and became one of the giants in stock car racing. I'm going to miss him. 2023 Ghanafuo.com & DM Network. Bruton Smith, the owner and primary visionary for Speedway Motorsports Inc., has spent the past few months battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Hall of Fame inductee Bruton Smith entertains the crowd as his son, Marcus Smith, left, looks on during NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn, File) Author: JENNA FRYER (AP Auto Racing Writer) Published: 5:12 PM EDT June 22, 2022 . CHARLOTTE, N.C. Domestic violence charges against the CEO of a Fortune 500 company based in Charlotte have been dropped months after he was arrested. His death was announced by Speedway Motorsports, which cited natural of causes. Head of content and Editor-at-large at Ghanafuo.com Dickson Ofori Siaw is a blunt writer who loves to make his readers see "the other perspectives of a news story". Their experience provides marketing, promotional and operational expertise generating the best entertainment experience and marketing values in the motorsports industry. My parents taught us what work was all about, Smith said in 2008. R.G. Smith who didnt drink, smoke or swear was also known for his numerous feuds with NASCAR and local governments, many of which played out in public. He was 95. This weekend, NASCAR is set to race at the Nashville Superspeedway, which was purchased by Speedway Motorsports last year. Astronauts and artists. I learned to drive, but that career didnt last long., His mother started fighting dirty, Smith recalled with a laugh in a 2005 interview with Motorsport.com, Speedway Motorsports officials said. He helped grow it from its humble southern roots to a major league, national sport. I'm going to miss him. Smith also played a heavy role in philanthropic efforts, founding Speedway Children's Charities in 1982. Ollen Bruton Smith was a NASCAR track promoter and the owner/CEO of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. On January 23, 2016, he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Hendrick called Smith an unbelievable innovator who never quit coming up with ideas to improve things or grow things, including four-wide drag racing. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1995. CNN Bruton Smith, a longtime fixture in NASCAR and a Hall of Fame inductee for building and promoting auto racing events nationwide, died Wednesday at age 95 of natural causes, according to. I am so thankful to be a dad, and to have an amazing dad, said the post, which was accompanied by photos of Smith surrounded by his family. Their known children: Bannie Ashia Bruton Smith 1875-1931 Carmanious Nias Carmie Bruton 1875-1952 He was married. Bu if you are on a family farm, that's what you do. 1988 was a rough year for Bruton Smith. I learned to drive, but that career didn't last long," Smith said about his early start, claiming his mother prayed for him to find another passion. A Speedway Motorsports statement announcing his death said he died of natural causes.. Both Marcus and David are the son of Bruton Smith, CEO of Speedway . The NASCAR and motorsports community mourns the loss of Bruton Smith, the NASCAR Hall of Famer, visionary track promoter and founder of Speedway Motorsports who died at 95 years old Wednesday. By JENNA FRYER Associated Press. Smith became known for building state-of-the-art facilities that embraced the fan experience. The following is a statement from the President and General . Speedway Motorsports, the company he founded, was the first motorsports company to trade on the New York Stock Exchange and it currently owns 11 facilities across the United States. In doing so, Bruton helped grow NASCARs popularity as the preeminent spectator sport. He could bluff with the best of them, Max Muhleman, a former sports marketing executive in Charlotte who covered racing for the Charlotte News in the 1950s, told the Observer in 2007. Outside the family farm, he was only 12 when he started his first job, working at a local saw mill, according to Speedway Motorsports. Oh, wed argue about things, Wheeler said. Bruton Smith, who was born and raised in the nearby rural . Bruton Smith, who helped grow the NASCAR fan experience at his tracks with visionary ideas, died from natural causes. Bruton Smith, a longtime fixture in NASCAR and a Hall of Fame inductee for building and promoting auto racing events nationwide, died Wednesday at age 95 of natural causes, according to a. Under the guidance of choir director Dennis Livingston, the Central Church Choirs soft hymns started the 1 p.m. service. I sure loved him. Bruton Smith, visionary track operator, dies at 95 | NASCAR 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 Big Hoss screen at Smiths Texas track (where Smith also built condos). But the greatest man I ever met was Bruton Smith," said Gossage, who retired last summer. They argued about race dates, race purses, the expansion of the Sprint Cup Series and other subjects over the years. On Wednesday, Smith died at the age of 95, marking the end of a NASCAR Hall of Fame career during which he became one of motorsports most successful and influential race promoters and track owners. "Bruton Smith has been one of my heroes since I started racing in NASCAR in 1972." Smith founded Speedway Children's Charities in 1982 as a memoriam and legacy to his son, Bruton Cameron . Example video title will go here for this video. As NASCAR rose in popularity in the 1980s and 90s, the Smith-Wheeler tandem developed Charlotte and other SMI tracks into among the more innovative sports facilities in the country. Smith was on the ground floor as stock car racing grew in popularity, starting in the Deep South. Speedway Motorsports said Smith died of natural causes. The whole idea at that time was that I was going to be a race car driver. To come from a small Carolina town and amassing all the accomplishments that he did. Bruton Smith, one of the city's richest men, has been ordered to pay his ex-wife $21 million in the next 10 years, a divorce settlement that includes more cash than what Ivana Trump got from. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. NASCAR Hall of Famer Bruton Smith, founder of Speedway Motorsports Inc Smith is survived by sons Scott, Marcus and David, daughter, Anna Lisa, their mother, Bonnie Smith and seven grandchildren. "Race fans are, and always will be, the lifeblood of NASCAR. I met him when he opened Bristol. Charlotte Speedway Founder, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bruton Smith Dies at 95 In 2006, Smith also was inducted intothe North Carolina Business Hall of Fame and National Motorsports Press Associations Hall of Fame. The two largest operators of racetracks in the country rarely saw eye-to-eye, but Smith, with his gold-framed shaded sunglasses and wild sport coats, never backed down. He partnered with Curtis Turner in 1959 to build Smith's first permanent motorsports facility, Charlotte Motor Speedway. The tracks host NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA and other series in Atlanta; Bristol, Tennessee; Charlotte; Las Vegas; New Hampshire; Sonoma, California; Texas; Dover, Delaware; Nashville, Tennessee; North Wilkesboro, North Carolina; and Kentucky. Knowing the Frances and Bruton, neither one of them wanted to let the other get ahead of them, said former driver Darrell Waltrip. One of the things we pushed real hard for was finishing races under green (flag), Wheeler said. Chris RankGetty Images. Leadership | Speedway Motorsports His Sonic Automotive Group ranks among the nations biggest auto dealerships. . He always treated me like an equal as he taught me lessons about business and life., Smith in 2016 was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame for his contributions to motorsports. Smith founded Sonic Automotive in early 1997 and took it public 11 months later; in 2000, it was recognized as a Fortune 500 company and has hundreds of dealerships in over 20 states. The native of Oakboro . I want to contribute more and more.. After building a successful chain of car dealerships, Smith re-entered NASCAR in the mid-1970s, buying enough shares in CMS stock to regain control of the speedway. Sad News - Bruton Smith UPDATE: Services Announced - Jayski's NASCAR "My parents taught us what work was all about," Smith said in 2008. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Remembering NASCAR Hall of Famer Bruton Smith. Here are his plans. Smith, a native of Oakboro, North Carolina, was 95.. Bruton Smith, a key promoter and track operator and a pioneer in auto racing, died at 95, NASCAR reported and Speedway Motorsports Inc. announced Wednesday afternoon. CHARLOTTE, N.C. O. Bruton Smith, who emerged from North Carolina farm country and parlayed his love of motorsports into a Hall of Fame career as one of the . I think NASCAR owes him a lot, Hendrick said. He would throw the ax through the window, Wheeler told the Observer. CHARLOTTE, N.C. O. Bruton Smith, who emerged from North Carolina farm country and parlayed his love of motorsports into a Hall of Fame career as one of the biggest track owners and most successful promoters in the history of auto racing, died Wednesday. A Warner Bros. In business, if youre negotiating you are battling, Smith once said. John Aniston cause of death: What happened to John Aniston? He was billionaire on the Forbes 400 list. In doing do, Bruton helped grow NASCAR's popularity as the preeminent spectator sport.". Bruton Smith: From Working The Dirt To Owning an Empire You can't fight your mom and God, so I stopped driving.. Motorsports icon Bruton Smith dies at 95 - Sports Business Journal His vision and legacy inspired many, and his fan-first mentality remains today through his son, Marcus. Press Esc to cancel. Speedway Motorsports founder Bruton Smith dies at 95 - WBAY Smith's Speedway Motorsports owns 11 NASCAR tracks, and he also "founded Speedway Children's 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" ( CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/23 ). His son, Marcus, the current president and CEO, on Tuesday posted a tribute to his father on social media: I had a wonderful Father's Day weekend. Bruton checked all those boxes, France said. Smith also founded Speedway Childrens Charities in 1982 in memory of his late son Bruton Cameron Smith. Brutons legacy and incredible accomplishments in and contributions to NASCAR will forever remain in our minds, our archives, at the cathedrals of speed he built and celebrated at the NASCAR Hall of Fame forever.. The track opened in June 1960 with a 600-mile race, the longest ever in NASCARs history. appreciated. Details of death:. He had an estimated worth of $1.5 billion in 2005. Will 2023 IndyCar season see a changing of the guard? AP Auto Racing Writer. Currently, Speedway Motorsports owns an array of properties, including 10 tracks with Cup Series dates, including Dover, Bristol, Atlanta, Texas, and Las Vegas. He was 95. "We are not close" said MEC Chair Garth Thompson. History | About | Speedway Children's Charities Sonic Automotive CEO David Bruton Smith arrested on felony assault The company owns and operates several auto raceways including the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Charlotte. I'm really sad to hear about the passing of Bruton Smith. Chris Dolmetsch. Smith said he had received permission from Charlotte government officials to cut them down, something they denied. Through much of his auto racing career, Smith was at odds with first Bill France Sr. and later Bill France Jr., who followed his father into the NASCAR presidency. His legacy will live on.". Smith, executive chairman of BMS parent company, has died Smith sold his first car, a 1939 Buick sedan, for a small profit and continued to sell cars from his mothers front yard, according to the Speedway Motorsports statement. "He was like a second father to me. Prior, he spent two years reporting on the Browns for Cleveland.com/the Plain Dealer. As I look back, that was a gift, even though I certainly didnt think so at the time. Then maybe theyd build a new window. "Our sole concern at SCC is to help a child in . FILE - Hall of Fame inductee Bruton Smith entertains the crowd as his son, Marcus Smith, left, looks on during NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016. As a rendition of I Can Only Imagine by soloist David Culberson concluded, Smiths casket was carried out of the church by pallbearers Bryan Smith, Marcus Smith, David Smith, Scott Smith, Wyatt Smith and William Brooks. The NASCAR family mourns the loss of Hall of Famer and visionary track operator, Bruton Smith. 2023 Cable News Network. His 17-year marriage to his wife, Bonnie Harris Smith, 43, effectively came to an end that year. I love the racing business. The track was the first major speedway to host night races. This weeks Current Climate, which every Saturday brings you the latest news about the business of sustainability. He lost the speedway eight years later due to financial reasons, but managed to get it back in 1975. Marcus G. Smith is one of the 4 children of the late Bruton Smith. Few knew this better than Bruton Smith," NASCAR chairman Jim France said. This story was originally published June 22, 2022, 4:25 PM. France said Smith is one of the pioneers of NASCAR. They entered their dogs in fights and watched them die.