Image smith machine driver#
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Other tracks followed suit, with night races gaining popularity among fans for the comfort of cooler nights and the excitement of racing under the lights. In 1992, Smith revolutionized NASCAR by undertaking a project that many thought was impossible: installing lights at Charlotte and bringing night racing to the Cup Series. Smith made headlines in 1984 when CMS built and sold a bank of condominium homes in turn 1 which overlooked the track, but provided year-round living for residents, a first for any major sports venue. Reel Racing: 'Rowdy' Head Producer Discusses NASCAR Documentary, Working with Kyle Busch & Upcoming Release Luxury boxes, expanded concessions and more restrooms came along with additional seats. Smith upgraded CMS to accommodate a growing fan base, and in the process, to make the fansвЂ™ experience memorable. NASCARвЂ™s popularity was beginning to grow in the late 70s. Smith took the track over for good in 1976 and installed Humpy Wheeler as president and promotor extraordinaire. As he grew his wealth, Smith began buying shares in the track, until he held a majority stake. When it went bankrupt in 1961, the court awarded control of the track to other investors, and Smith departed his home state of North Carolina to pursue other, more stable, businesses.Д«ut he never gave up on Charlotte.

Image smith machine driver#

At the time, it was the ultimate test of both driver and machine. The race remains the Cup SeriesвЂ™ longest and one of the most coveted wins by its drivers.

WhatвЂ™s now Charlotte Motor Speedway was the first track of its kind in the sport, and it both began and nearly ended SmithвЂ™s racing endeavors.Д¬harlotte hosted the first World 600 in 1960. It began in Charlotte, when Smith financed the construction of a 1.5-mile quad-oval track in nearby Concord.

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Smith passed away on June 22 at the age of 95, himself a race fan of 87 years, and fans donвЂ™t remember a NASCAR without his influence.Д®ven if it wasnвЂ™t SmithвЂ™s purchase of a rival series in the late 1940вЂ™s (in just his early 20s) that forced NASCARвЂ™s hand in creating whatвЂ™s now the Cup Series, his influence is felt throughout the sport in the form of the racetrack empire he eventually built. There are few people who have impacted the sport to the level that Bruton Smith did in his lifetime.