Bruton Smith to move LMS?

MRM

MRM

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I'm sure a big part of this is posturing, but I can see him doing this.


Smith to move LMS? Bruton Smith, owner of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., said Tuesday that if Concord [NC] does not work with him on a controversial drag strip, he’ll take Lowe’s Motor Speedway somewhere else. Smith told Eyewitness News he is already looking for plots of land in the Charlotte area. He said he’ll close Lowe’s and build a new speedway and his own airport so that race car drivers will easily be able to fly in and out of town. Concord doesn’t look like it’s going to be a place for him to grow, he said, so if city leaders don’t change their minds, he will take his business and go. Smith said he’s dumbfounded that the Concord City Council voted against a proposed drag strip near the speedway on Monday night, effectively changing the area’s zoning rules. Workers had already started grading the land to make way for the strip. Dozens of residents showed up at the city council meeting to protest the strip so close to their homes. Others argued the economic benefits of such a motorsports attraction. Smith will have to take the city to court in order for the decision to be reversed. He wants Concord to undo an annexation, which made the speedway, and the land around it that had been zoned for motorsports, part of the city limits. “Either they go, or we go,” he said. Eyewitness News contacted the mayor of Concord and told him what Smith had to say. He said he had no comment.(wsoctv.com)(10-2-2007)
 
Bruton is blowing SMOKE. He can't do that without Nascar's approval.
 
Big news in this area with mixed thoughts. But the most thoughts talk about the greedyness of Smitty. Well, I can't comment on that because the whole NASCAR thing these days is being called greedy, so what would be new with this. However, as a capitolist, I see no reason to disagree with Bruton on this one. Racing is his business and in business, the aim is to make money. Some people call that greed, but I guess it all depends on their idea of capitolism.

But back to the issue at hand, this isn't anything new for Smitty as I mentioned. He pulled the rug out from under the people of Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro and then he did would have done the same for the people of Fayetteville, NC had he been given the chance. But the France's beat him to that one since they wouldn't sell the track to him. So now ol' Smitty is ready to screw the people of Concord, who have opened their city to him for years. But, it's a matter of money and the city of Concord and it's residents just don't want a dragstrip. Oh what I would give to have a championship dragstrip in my back yard, but I am in the minority here.

I think that the whole NASCAR thing is finally on the down swing and it's going to be harder and harder for anyone to build a racetrack. Even here in the heart of racing country, a road course track that already has grading begun, is facing an uphill battle with a court order to stop.

Smitty will eventually get what he wants, if it has to be closer to Charlotte. The only people that will be hurt by this move will be those business' that cater to the racing crowd in Concord. I'm sure that Smitty will drive by them and smile once his track has moved. Afterall, it's only capitolism and that is what NASCAR is all about now. Oh, that and to become the next Formula One series. So, as a capitolist, am I upset with all this? Yes and no. I'm not that near Concord so it won't affect me, but I hate that this is just the continuation of the down fall of NASCAR. :confused:
 
tkj24 said:
Bruton is blowing SMOKE. He can't do that without Nascar's approval.
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This is my question as well, can he do that. I mean it is his racetrack right? If he wants to close it & build another somewhere doe's he not have the right? Also why wouldn't the city of Concord want a dragstrip, it would further pour more money into that small town to continue to boost economic growth. Having been there before I have seen areas in Concord near the track where a dragstrip would probably work & it's only gonna be maximum of twice a year for three or four days so whats the big deal. When NASCAR is there, it's a two week long event in May & a week long in the fall. I dunno, I guess we all needed to be at the meeting to hear everyone's gripes...
 
I'm sure their gripes were the same as you find elsewhere. They didn't want the noise and traffic. People buy their homes near an airport, race track, pig farm and then complain about them going about their normal business. I have little sympathy.
 
barelypure said:
. People buy their homes near an airport, race track, pig farm and then complain about them going about their normal business. I have little sympathy.
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Ding, ding, ding ---- we have a winner!

I have a good 'net friend that lives near Brainerd and the track. She says it is like most noise --- you get used to it.
 
Around here

the silly council even votes out new walMarts! Sometimes I am amazed by peoples actions.. Bringing more people more often to your town will only make MORE money for your people..
Betsy:rolleyes:
 
Betsy said:
the silly council even votes out new walMarts! Sometimes I am amazed by peoples actions.. Bringing more people more often to your town will only make MORE money for your people..
Betsy:rolleyes:
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Well now that I can understand. From what I read on the net Wal-Mart is the debil... :eek:
 
Bruton owns LMS, he can do with it as he pleases, even if that means moving races from there to somewhere else. He wasn't given a date for Texas, but moved a date there after he and Bahre bought North Wilkesboro. NASCAR didn't have to go along with that, but they did.

Most dragstrips that host NHRA events still have races each week through the year for local competitors. Bristol has them every week most of spring and summer. I'm sure neighbors are well aware of that. But they already have one track there, two shouldn't matter any more.

In the end, I think Bruton is posturing and he will get his dragstrip where he wants it.
 
We had this problem a few years ago...

... when the ALMS came to RFK. They had a ten year contract with ALMS, DC, and NBC. Only had one race before everybody complained about the noise, even though they were given free tickets, hotel accomidations, etc.

How bad was the noise one weekend a year? Really? I've been to D.C. (Obviously) and it's loud all the time.

Guess it was disturbing Congress from building bridges in the middle of nowhere. :rolleyes:

Haven't had a race here since. And when the IHRA race came to town, Charles County made it a point to do bridge construction that weekend, making it nearly impossible to get to the track (in neighboring St. Mary's County).

We'll never see a NASCAR race in D.C. because it'll attract too many redneck Republicans. :rolleyes:
 
I understand where Bruton is coming from and i like what he is doing. The speedway has been there longer than anything else around it, the people that are complaining are the ones that have moved near the speedway, not the other way around.

I could see their point if Bruton was building a new race track right beside their houses, but in this case Bruton has personally done a lot for the city of Concord.
They city of Concord can not afford to loose the track and all the money that comes from it. The Philip Morris plant that is about 5 miles up Hwy 29 from the Speedway just announced that it will be shutting its doors soon and will cost the city thousands of jobs.

Concord needs to be thanking Bruton for what he's done for them and helping him get this drag strip in place.

I moved from my apartment that was about a mile from the speedway last week, and to be honest if i was still there i would have no problem with him building a drag strip there.
 
That's how people are. There is a dirt track that I grew up at that's out in the country a little ways. It doesn't seem as far now because the town is headed that way. About 10-12 years ago, some genius decided to build 2 or 3 houses on some vacant property about 800 yards away from turn 2. The houses were on the road that goes to the pits and the main road, they catch all the truck traffic going to and from the track. People have the nerve to complain about the traffic and noise on Saturday nights. The track has been there since 1963. If they didn't want to put up with that, they shouldn't have bought one of those houses.
 
Concord backs off drag strip ban: Concord may allow a drag strip after all, after a vote by the city council Tuesday that could put an end to the standoff between the city and Lowe’s Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith. Smith had threatened to move LMS out of Concord after the city put a stop to a proposed drag strip adjacent to the speedway by amending the area’s zoning laws. In a work session meeting Tuesday, the City Council voted to ask the Planning and Zoning Commission to consider amending the speedway’s zoning district to allow drag strips. Two weeks ago the council said no to Smith’s drag strip because of environmental and noise issues. Smith in turn threatened to move Lowe’s Motor Speedway, if he couldn’t build the drag strip on his property.
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This was posted on another board. There wasn't a link with it.
 
Wonder where he would have moved the track. :) I took the photo yesterday from my car window while driving down Junior Johnson Highway. One of the for sale signs is at the top left of the stands.
 

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kelloggs5TLfan said:
Concord backs off drag strip ban: Concord may allow a drag strip after all, after a vote by the city council Tuesday that could put an end to the standoff between the city and Lowe’s Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith. Smith had threatened to move LMS out of Concord after the city put a stop to a proposed drag strip adjacent to the speedway by amending the area’s zoning laws. In a work session meeting Tuesday, the City Council voted to ask the Planning and Zoning Commission to consider amending the speedway’s zoning district to allow drag strips. Two weeks ago the council said no to Smith’s drag strip because of environmental and noise issues. Smith in turn threatened to move Lowe’s Motor Speedway, if he couldn’t build the drag strip on his property.

This was posted on another board. There wasn't a link with it.
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Now you know that once Concord starts to question the race track it's only a matter of time before these same people raise these same complaints and Concord will feel the heat to do something again. If Smith has an opportunity for 325 acres and $100M to move then maybe he should. It would show the new location that if they ever look a gift horse in the mouth that he could move away from them as well. This would give the new site government incentive to quash all the opposition to the track.
 
Bruton the grinch

I guess I have to veiw Bruton smith as a spoiled little child. "If you don't let me have my way I'll show you".Yes I know that it will bring in more money and probably be a nice drag strip, but moving the track whats with that? Guess those who have supported the racing for so many years and have so many fond memories of it just don't mean crap to ole Bruton. Seems he never considers those people in his decesion makin anyway. Well I think Nascar and those who seem to have control over it seem to have forgetten what the word Loyal means anyway. I used to go to Charolette twice a year and loved the track. I was a loyal fan for years, but I think now if Bruton Smith gets another dime from me he will have to squeeze it from my cold dead hands. I hope the council has enough backbone to stick to its guns on this one, its time someone put him in his place.
 
Howdy dirt

Can't you se it is all about MONEY! The council said NO.. so HE said, if you don't change your minds I will take LOTS and LOTS of money away from your town.. So they quickly said yes.. That is just doing bidness!
Betsy:rolleyes:
 
Except Mark Packer interviewed Smith yesterday afternoon and he's still talking like he's going to move. They are still looking at sites and have a couple in mind no more than 18 miles from the CLT airport.
The way he explained to upgrade LMS would cost him $200M or he can build a whole new track just the way he wants it for $350M. And it would look better and not like it was an erector set pieced together.
 
According to one media report, and if that report was correct, Smith began grading prior to applying for a building permit or applying for planning board approval. The issue was brought to the attention of the town fathers because of complaints from nearby property owners and the potential for noise. Council voted against the proposal because they had no information and were more or less blindsided by the proposal of Smith to build a drag strip.

Both sides were wrong. Smith for beginning the work before required permits were obtained and City of Concord for rejecting Smiths plans prior to formal application and review of same.

This involves more than a race track.
There are over one hundred condominiums people bought because of the track, many used as year around residence. What might happen to the value of these condominiums should the track be relocated ???
 
Smith addressed the permit also. He said he had a permit. That they had been grading for 3 1/2 weeks when Concord issued their cease order. That's what got him so mad. He said that if he moved he would be billing Concord for his costs of grading and that there were precendents of collecting where the permit was pulled. The track has only been there 47 years.
He blamed Concord for designating the area around the race track residential rather than commercial. That if it were commercial then there would be more race shops and related businesses closer to the track.
Also, if he moves, what happens to Concord Mills. He's the financial backer there.
Did he have the permit before he started grading? He sounded serious but then I've never played hold'em with Bruton...
 
Good Ole Bruton

Seen on Jayski that Smith is about 90% sure he will move CMS. Goodbye North Wilkesboro, good bye Rockingham, and good bye CMS, Smith knows whats best for you race fans and his pocket book.Yeah NASCAR no longer has anything to do with loyality its just about big money.Just keep letting Smith tell the race fans whats best for them and Nascar. Can't blame him though if I guess when you're rolling in money and can afford to buy tracks close them down and sell them at a huge loss, why should he worry about the fans? Just keep on spending that money maybe he'll even eventually decide to get his hands on Daytona and move it to Mexico or somewhere.
 
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