Bruton Smith, founder and chairman of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. is among four area sports legends selected for induction into the Greater Charlotte Sports Hall of Fame.
Smith joins basketball legends Bobby Jones and David Thompson along with the late Hoyt Wilhelm, an extremely durable and effective baseball relief pitcher, in the hall of fame’s class of 2005.
Smith grew up on a modest farm near Oakboro, N.C., and parlayed his love for building things into a business empire, focusing on the motorsports and automotive industries.
After promoting stock car races at numerous area short tracks, Smith spearheaded the construction of Lowe’s Motor Speedway and the inaugural Coca-Cola 600 was run in June of 1960.
