Bruton Smith honored by NC Motorsports Association
Track owner Bruton Smith was recently named a 2012 Achievement in Motorsports Tribute Award recipient by the North Caroline Motorsports Association at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The Oakboro, N.C., native is the founder of Speedway Motorsports Inc., which owns and operates eight tracks that host national-level NASCAR events: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway.
SMI activity also includes SMI Properties that provides souvenir merchandising and U.S. Legends Cars International that manufactures small-scale modifieds.
SMI became the first motorsports company traded on the New York Stock Exchange in 1995.
Smith's philanthropic activities include founding Speedway Children's Charities. Since it started in 1982, the organization has distributed over $40 milliion to agencies that provide support to children.
Smith got his start in NASCAR as a race promoter in the 1950s. He was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 2006 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2007.
Smith will be honored at an awards banquet at the Embassy Suites in Concord, N.C. Previous honorees include Benny Parsons, Richard Petty, Richard Childress, Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson.
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Photo of Bruton Smith by Amanda Vincent
