Remembering Bruton Smith: His initials may have been BS, but he was the real deal
The moment I first heard of the passing of Speedway Motorsports founder O. Bruton Smith -- a.k.a. simply "Bruton" for short -- two memories immediately popped into my mind.
The first was how Bruton, particularly as he aged into his 70s and 80s, occasionally squinted and appeared to sometimes have difficulty hearing a question posed to him by a reporter. I often wondered, though, if that squinting and hearing difficulty was actually a ploy to make the reporter work harder for a better answer from Smith.
And, trust me, he WOULD make reporters work harder to get a great quote. That was just Bruton's way.
The second memory was how, primarily for several years during the annual nearly week-long NASCAR Media Tour in the Charlotte area -- which unfortunately went away several years ago -- were the legendary "Tireside Chats" Smith would have with the media, usually with former sidekick Humpy Wheeler -- with a fitting Goodyear racing slick as a backdrop.
Now do you get it, a Tireside Chat?
Those chats more often than not focused primarily on Smith, with occasional input from Wheeler, who would hold court and give his take on the state of the sport of NASCAR racing, what he'd like to see changed in the sport, his occasional dust-ups with folks like Bill France Jr. and Mike Helton, among other NASCAR officials, and how he fought for what he believed in, even if NASCAR's leadership fought back.
But more than anything, Bruton was as smart as a whip but also as cunning as an all-in poker player. He was confident, courteous and cordial -- but if you tried to undercut or embarrass him, he'd make you pay with smart and oftentimes stinging answers that would embarrass you in front of your fellow NASCAR reporters.
Luckily for me, I only felt Smith's sting once or twice over the roughly 20-plus years I knew him professionally.
Bruton's initials may have been BS, but the man himself didn't take any nor give any. More than anything, you knew where you stood with him from the first minute you met him.
Bruton was slick as a card dealer or a shyster lawyer (I mean that in a good way). He oftentimes would play the part of what he called himself, namely, "I'm just a poor country boy from off the farm."
But as his life went on, Bruton became anything but that. He definitely wasn't poor: he was a billionaire. After seeing the city lights of Charlotte, he was no longer a country boy, but became a bonafide city slicker. And forget the farm, he built an empire based primarily on two things, namely cars and cars.
Let me explain that last comment a bit more: Bruton's empire was based on car racing, as well as selling cars in nearly two dozen dealerships scattered around the country.
If it had four wheels, Bruton would either promote it in a race or sell it in a showroom. He was the ultimate promoter and car salesman, bar none.
Bruton took a step back from his day-to-day duties as CEO and Chairman of Speedway Motorsports about a decade ago, handing over the torch to son Marcus, who has done an excellent job since then. But of course, Marcus should be doing an excellent job, as he learned from the best in the business.
And honestly, when Bruton passed away on Wednesday, I had to take a step back myself, thinking he was maybe 87 or 88, certainly not 95 years old.
But as I said earlier, wow, Bruton lived a good and full life. I still recall countless times where he'd be escorted around Charlotte Motor Speedway or Bristol Motor Speedway or Texas Motor Speedway with a bevy of blondes, brunettes and even an occasional redhead on his arm -- both arms, in fact. And how the young ladies would giggle and remark, "Oh, Mr. Smith!" when the then-septuagenarian and octogenarian would shamelessly flirt with them.
Sure, it was all for fun and show, but that's one of the ways Bruton stayed young, by hanging with young ladies or young drivers who competed on the NASCAR circuit.
I have so many memories of Bruton that I could write for hours. But I'll close with a few more thoughts: First, Bruton Smith was a man I admired and yes, even envied. He seemingly had it all, but he also was one of the most generous individuals I've ever met in the sports world.
Bruton's biggest pet project, Speedway Children's Charities, has given multi-millions of dollars to those most in need, not just in the Charlotte area but also in other markets that more often than not included a Speedway Motorsports-owned racetrack.
Because he grew up poor, Bruton believed in giving back and oh, how he did. I remember one instance maybe 15 years ago when Bruton was so impressed by the performance of several of his workers following a dinner in the Speedway Club (where dinners and special events were held) atop Charlotte Motor Speedway, that he pulled out a thick wad of cash and handed out hundred-dollar bills to each employee like they were single dollar bills. He wanted to make sure his employees knew how much he appreciated them.
The sport of NASCAR will be poorer with the passing of Bruton Smith, motorsports entrepreneur and promoter extraordinaire. He may have been fiery and cantankerous on occasion, especially when he fought for something he believed in -- much to the chagrin of NASCAR's top leadership at times -- but Bruton wouldn't have been Bruton if he did it any other way.
I remember a time not too long ago that he even threatened to take his racetracks and secede from NASCAR and start his own racing series. Whether it was a bluff or he was totally serious, it worked nonetheless. And in so doing, Smith's actions actually brought the entire NASCAR world together and made it stronger. It was no longer Speedway Motorsports Inc. vs. International Speedway Corp. It was all for one and one for all.
There was one and only one Bruton Smith. He'll be greatly missed for the human being he was, the charitable individual he was and yes, the incredibly astute and intelligent person he was. He may have been cunning with that "I'm just an old farm boy" schtick, but Bruton Smith was a true original. What you saw was what you got.
And that's no BS.