HAMPTON, Ga. — Bruton Smith, chairman and CEO of Speedway Motorsports Inc., has been weighing feedback from fans and is considering additional changes to the racing surface at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, one of SMI’s marquee properties.
Smith, who joined fans in a town-hall-style meeting on Saturday, is considering “tweaking the surface a little bit after watching the replay several more times.”
Disappointed with attendance at the March race at the .533-mile short track, Smith commissioned a seven-figure grinding project that shaved two degrees of banking from the top lane of the concrete track.
Far from eliminating the outside groove as a racing option, the top of the track became the fast way around as the third lane rubbered in. The result was an action-filled race that was well received by a broad consensus of competitors and fans alike.
Smith has yet to provide specifics about what additional changes he might consider.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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