HARRISBURG, N.C. — Marcus Smith is a chip off the old block. Although not as boisterous or flamboyant as his late father, the second-generation leader of Speedway Motorsports definitely inherited Bruton Smith’s passion for providing fans the best in motorsports entertainment.
His latest move caught many in the industry off guard when it was announced that next year’s NASCAR All-Star Race will be run at legendary North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, an aging Speedway Motorsports property that hasn’t hosted a NASCAR-sanctioned event since Jeff Gordon won a Cup Series race there in the fall of 1996.
“The NASCAR All-Star Race has always been the fans’ race, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the fans during NASCAR’s 75th anniversary than returning to North Wilkesboro Speedway,” Smith said. “We couldn’t have made this happen without tremendous support from so many people including Gov. (Roy) Cooper, our state legislature, NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and of course, the people of Wilkes County. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’ve got the will to create something special alongside a community and hard-working staff that will get it done.”
Convincing NASCAR officials to run the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro is the latest in an ever-growing list of significant moves that Smith has spearheaded since 2008 when he was first named to a leadership role within Speedway Motorsports.
Here are few of the others:
Charlotte ROVAL
Seeing the need for more road-course races on NASCAR’s premier series schedule, Smith oversaw an effort to transform the infield road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway into a world-class racing circuit. The track’s fall playoff race has run on the serpentine layout each year since 2018.
Two More Tracks
Smith expanded Speedway Motorsports’ portfolio in 2021 when the company purchased Dover Motorsports and its two tracks, Dover (Del.) Int’l Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn. Speedway Motorsports now owns and operates 11 major racing facilities.
Circuit of The Americas
NASCAR racing invaded the state capital of Texas in 2021 after Smith negotiated a unique deal to move one of his company’s NASCAR weekends to the state-of-the-art facility that annually hosts the U.S. Grand Prix Formula 1 race.
Back to Dirt
Reviving a concept that originated under his father’s watch, Smith brought dirt racing back to the high banks Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in 2021, but this time the dance card included more than sprint cars and late models. A NASCAR weekend that started with the Truck Series was capped by the first NASCAR Cup Series race on dirt since Sept. 30, 1970.
Private Company
Freeing Speedway Motorsports from the restraints associated with a publicly traded company, Smith led the effort to take the business private, and the deal was finalized in September 2019. Speedway Motorsports stock originally began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in 1995.
High Tech at Atlanta
Smith and his engineers utilized iRacing technology when it was time to reconfigure and repave the racing surface at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Throughout the development process, Speedway Motorsports partnered with iRacing to test and verify concepts for the 1.54-mile quad-oval.
Battle at Bristol
It wasn’t the first time a football game had been played in the infield of Bristol Motor Speedway, but it was certainly the biggest when Tennessee beat Virginia Tech in the Battle at Bristol on Sept. 10, 2016. Under Smith’s watch, the college football game attracted a record crowd of 156.990.
Nashville Fairgrounds
While not generating much news of late, a Speedway Motorsports executive assures us Smith and his team are still working on a deal to take over management and operation of the race track at the Nashville Fairgrounds. The legendary oval’s most recent NASCAR Cup Series race was won by Geoff Bodine on July 14, 1984.
Giant Video Displays
As part of Smith’s ongoing efforts to enhance the fans’ race-day experience, Speedway Motorsports has installed giant high-definition video displays at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.