Marcus G. Smith
Encyclopedia
Marcus G. Smith is president and chief operating officer and director of NASCAR
track owner Speedway Motorports, Inc.(SMI) and general manager of SMI owned Charlotte Motor Speedway
. He is the son of SMI CEO Bruton Smith
.
studying to become a doctor, then later a journalist, but did not earn a degree. He started working at Charlotte Motor Speedway during summers as an intern picking up trash, selling tickets and souvenirs, and cutting the grass. Smith slowly began to work his way up the SMI corporate ladder, becoming a sales associate in 1996 and manager of new business development in 1999. In 1999, Smith led talks between SMI and Lowe's Corporation, Inc.
to sell the naming rights of Charlotte Motor Speedway. The track was known as Lowe's Motor Speedway until 2009 when a deal could not be reached to extend the contract. He became vice president of business development in 2001, and was made director in 2004. Also in 2004, he became the executive vice president of national sales and marketing for SMI.
Smith assumed his current position as president, chief operating officer and director of SMI on May 28, 2009 after H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler retired. At the same time, Smith also assumed duties as general manager and president of Charlotte Motor Speedway
. When promoted, Smith stated "I'm going to bring the same passion to work each day that the race fans bring to the track every week. I'm competitive, and I want to be sure we're doing everything we can to provide a fantastic motorsports experience to our fans." He is also a member of the board of managers for SMISC, LLC, an equally owned merchandising joint venture between SMI and International Speedway Corporation
.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
track owner Speedway Motorports, Inc.(SMI) and general manager of SMI owned Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
. He is the son of SMI CEO Bruton Smith
Bruton Smith
Ollen Bruton Smith is a promoter and owner/CEO of NASCAR track owner Speedway Motorsports, Inc. He was ranked #207 on the Forbes 400 list with an estimated worth of $1.5 billion in 2005, and fell to #278 in 2006. He is divorced with four children...
.
Background
Marcus Smith attended the University of North CarolinaUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
studying to become a doctor, then later a journalist, but did not earn a degree. He started working at Charlotte Motor Speedway during summers as an intern picking up trash, selling tickets and souvenirs, and cutting the grass. Smith slowly began to work his way up the SMI corporate ladder, becoming a sales associate in 1996 and manager of new business development in 1999. In 1999, Smith led talks between SMI and Lowe's Corporation, Inc.
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
to sell the naming rights of Charlotte Motor Speedway. The track was known as Lowe's Motor Speedway until 2009 when a deal could not be reached to extend the contract. He became vice president of business development in 2001, and was made director in 2004. Also in 2004, he became the executive vice president of national sales and marketing for SMI.
Smith assumed his current position as president, chief operating officer and director of SMI on May 28, 2009 after H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler retired. At the same time, Smith also assumed duties as general manager and president of Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
. When promoted, Smith stated "I'm going to bring the same passion to work each day that the race fans bring to the track every week. I'm competitive, and I want to be sure we're doing everything we can to provide a fantastic motorsports experience to our fans." He is also a member of the board of managers for SMISC, LLC, an equally owned merchandising joint venture between SMI and International Speedway Corporation
International Speedway Corporation
International Speedway Corporation is a corporation whose primary business is the ownership and management of NASCAR race tracks. ISC was founded by NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. in 1953 for the construction of Daytona International Speedway and in 1999 they merged with Penske Motorsports to...
.