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. More than two dozen flower bouquets lined the front of Central Church. Both Marcus and David are the son of Bruton Smith, CEO of Speedway . Bruton Smith: From Working The Dirt To Owning an Empire Bruton checked all those boxes, France said. 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. A few days later,Smith, sitting in the owner's suite as theCoca-Cola 600took the green flag at Charlotte Motor Speedway, told a small group of reporters he had all but given up hope of being chosen for the Hall. Chris RankGetty Images. 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. This story was originally published June 30, 2022, 1:19 PM. Logos for Charlotte Motor Speedway and Sonic Automotive Group during the funeral service Thursday stood beside Smiths casket, which was topped with a collection of white roses and lilies. I'm really sad to hear about the passing of Bruton Smith. Smith assumed control of several . 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. Born on March 2, 1927, Smith grew up in the Stanly County town of Oakboro, roughly 30 miles southeast of Charlotte Motor Speedway. He helped grow not just NASCAR, but all kinds of racing. He always treated me like an equal as he taught me lessons about business and life. 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. The track opened in June 1960 with a 600-mile race, the longest ever in NASCARs history. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1995. Sonic Automotive CEO David Bruton Smith arrested on felony assault We were selling tickets and expecting thrilling finishes, but if theres a wreck with five laps left, you dont see anything. Ollen Bruton Smith was a promoter and owner and CEO of NASCAR track owner Speedway Motorsports, Inc. "That's what I've tried to do my entire life. Smith became known for building state-of-the-art facilities that embraced the fan experience. He often sparred with NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. and his successor, Bill France Jr., and battled the NASCAR leadership for decades trying to bring elite Cup Series races to his properties. Smiths resentment toward NASCAR founder Bill France and, later, Bill France Jr., came over power struggles about track acquisitions and race dates. Speedway Motorsports founder Bruton Smith dies at 95 - NBC12 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. 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 track was the first major speedway to host night races. NASCAR Hall of Famer Bruton Smith dies at 95. He took a job in a hosiery mill two days after graduating from Oakboro High School and eventually bought a race car for $700, launching his motorsports career, Speedway Motorsports officials said. It had been troubled for a number of years, and the. Speedway Motorsports founder Bruton Smith dies at 95 - WBAY Speedway Motorsports founder Bruton Smith dies at 95 | WNCT He was 95. Bruton Smith, the visionary and combative executive who helped shape NASCAR into the sport it is today, died Wednesday. When Concord City Council voted in 2007 to stop Smith from building what is now zMax Dragway, he threatened to shut down the speedway and build another one (along with a dragway) somewhere else. Ollen Bruton Smith (March 3, 1927 - June 22, 2022) was a promoter and owner/ CEO of NASCAR track owner Speedway Motorsports, Inc. SMI's holdings include 11 racing facilities that currently host 15 NASCAR Cup Series events in 2022, including four of the series 10 playoff races. 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. When you think of the things Bruton accomplished, they are unbelievable and we will remember them forever, Hendrick said. Their experience provides marketing, promotional and operational expertise generating the best entertainment experience and marketing values in the motorsports industry. Few knew this better than Bruton Smith," NASCAR chairman Jim France said. 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. Smith founded the company that is Speedway Motorsports and owns nine tracks that host Cup races, including Nashville Superspeedway, which hosts the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series this weekend. Efforts by the Charlotte Observer to both reach Smith and obtain a police report Wednesday were unsuccessful. Stenhouse's Daytona win shows the 500 is 'crazier' than ever, Marco Andretti to defend SRX all-star series title, McLaren braced for slow start to F1 season, Haas save $250,000 with slimmed-down pitwall, IndyCar to use sustainable tires made of shrub, Verstappen pips Alonso to open F1 testing, Wolff: 2023 Mercedes car 'has no bouncing issue', Ferrari move head of strategy Rueda out of role, Hamilton says Mercedes a long way off pace, Alonso pumps brakes on Aston Martin hype train, Russell: Red Bull in a league of their own, How to watch the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix on ESPN, ESPN+, Hamilton permitted to race with nose stud, 'Fighter' Hamilton quashes Mercedes exit talk, Hamilton: F1 duty-bound to raise human rights concerns, McLaren to run rotating digital sponsor panels, Stroll to race in Bahrain with pins in broken wrist. In 2012, Smith was classified by CNN Money as the oldest CEO of the Fortune 500. He was named executive chairman in 2015 after serving as SMI chairman and chief executive officer since 1995. Along with former SMI president H.A. Thomas Strahan was fired from the job he held at Lake Norman High since 2017, authorities said. Bruton built his race tracks employing a simple philosophy; give race fans memories they will cherish for a lifetime. Bruton Smith was the founder and CEO of Speedway Motorsports, who owned NASCAR tracks including the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Sons Scott, Marcus, and David are survivors, as with his daughter Anna Lisa, their mother, Bonnie Smith, and seven grandkids. Sargeant 1st American on F1 grid since 2015, Murdaugh verdict sends a Lowcountry message: No one is above the law | Opinion, Mail carrier cant believe his eyes after seeing NC lottery win. "He was like a second father to me. Died: June 22, 2022 ( Who else died on June 22?) I met him when he opened Bristol. In January 2016, Smith was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He dedicated his life to speedways and improving the racing experience for fans everywhere. 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. Who was Bruton Smith, NASCAR mogul and NC race track owner The track construction costs ran well past budget, and Smith eventually lost control of the speedway in bankruptcy proceedings. Sam Gannon cause of death, wife, children, net worth, Barbara Everitt Bryant funeral, burial service, pictures, date, time, venue. NASCAR Hall of Fame track owner and promoter Bruton Smith dies at 95 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). Company | Speedway Motorsports Smith was executive chairman of Speedway Motorsports, which owns and operates auto racing speedways across the country. Thats what we all needed., Race fans are, and always will be, the lifeblood of NASCAR, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France said on Twitter. Funeral arrangements were pending. World famous musicians and athletes. A Warner Bros. He was 95. The top-ranked pie in North Carolina doesnt look like pie at all. Cary man becomes 27th North Carolinian charged in Capitol riot. Years later he partnered with Curtis Turner in 1959 to build his first permanent motorsports facility, the Charlotte Motor Speedway, which would come to host NASCARs longest race at 600 miles. Ollen Bruton Smith was born on March 2, 1927, the youngest of nine children, and grew up on a farm in North Carolina. Just brave enough to try anything.. He took the company public in 1995; his son Marcus Smith is the CEO. SPEEDWAY OWNER LIVES IN FAST LANE - Greensboro News and Record Here are his plans. In business, if youre negotiating you are battling, Smith once said. Credited by Roger Penske as a man who brought "so much to NASCAR," the founder and executive chairman of . To the delight of his mother, those ambitions did not last long. He left North Carolina to open an auto dealership in Rockford, Ill. 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. But if you are on a family farm, thats what you do. He recalled sitting at the Texas Motor Speedway in 1997 and thinking, How could someone dream of something like this? Sonic CEO Scott Smith steps down, succeeded by brother Published Sonic Automotive CEO David Bruton Smith was arrested Monday in Charlotteand charged with multiple felonies including assault on a woman and assault by strangulation. In addition to Marcus Smith, Bruton Smith is survived by sons Scott and David, daughter Anna Lisa, and their mother, Bonnie Smith, along with seven grandchildren. Born March 2, 1927, on a farm in Oakboro, a small town 30 miles east of Charlotte, Ollen Bruton Smith was the youngest of nine children. While Delta pilots have signed a new contract and American pilots appear to be moving quickly towards one, United pilots appear to be lagging. Bruton Smith: The Motorsports World Reacts to the Death - Sportscasting