tool name
closeBruton Smith's son moving into Wheeler's job?
DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Wednesday, May. 21, 2008
H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler said Wednesday his retirement as president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway and as president and chief operating officer of Speedway Motorsports Inc. did not come entirely on his own terms.
"Some of it is," Wheeler said in officially announcing his decision. "I won't say it all is. We'll just leave it at that."
Bruton Smith, the track's owner and the chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc, did not attend Wheeler's announcement in the speedway's media center.
In a telephone interview later, Smith said he learned late Tuesday that Wheeler planned to make the announcement this week instead of next Wednesday, as they had originally discussed.
"He chose to do this and didn't mention it to me," Smith said when asked why he was not present. "If he had wanted me to be there I think he would have asked me."
Wheeler and Smith agreed that they began talking about Wheeler's retirement about six months ago. Smith said he and Wheeler discussed "three or four weeks ago" making the announcement next week after the Coca-Cola 600.
"We said, 'Let's get past the races,' " Smith said. "Having it come out was news to me. That was not our plan."
When Wheeler was asked what role he might have going forward in consulting with the track, where he has worked for 33 years. Wheeler offered a terse, one word answer.
"None," he said.
Later. Wheeler said: "There are other factors involved here I'd rather not get into. But that's the way it is."
The friction apparently is not the first disharmony between the two men most closely associated with Lowe's Motor Speedway's growth since Smith in 1975 regained controlling interest of the track he helped build 15 years earlier.
Smith said Wheeler was not initially in favor of putting condominiums in the track's Turn 1 or building the Speedway Club restaurant. He also said Wheeler was against building the new zMAX Drag Strip @ Concord this is scheduled to host its first event in September.
Wheeler distanced himself from the controversy when Smith threatened to move the oval track to another location last year in a dispute with the city of Concord over the drag racing facility.
Smith said that over the years he learned to ignore Wheeler on such matters.
"I was the one taking the financial risks and I was the one always sticking my neck out," Smith said. "He wasn't and I wouldn't expect him to. He was an employee."
Meanwhile, Marcus Smith, Bruton Smith's son, emerged as an odds-on favorite to succeed Wheeler.
"We'll see what happens," the younger Smith, who now is executive vice president of SMI, said Wednesday. "I love my job. I love coming to the speedway every day. I love racing and race fans and everybody who comes to work here strives to make sure the fans have the best time possible and they want to come back again."
Some track employees wiped away tears after Wheeler spent nearly an hour telling stories and talking about the sport he said he won't be completely walking away from.
Wheeler opened his remarks by poking fun at his reputation for trying to hype events at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
"No, this is not a publicity stunt," he said. "I didn't do this to sell tickets, but if it does that's OK. I would like to go out with no empty seats Sunday night. ...I am not saying this is the best way to do it. I did not want a lot of fanfare or to drag it out. People don't buy tickets to see me."
Wheeler, 69, said there have been "dark sides and light sides" to his time at LMS.
"It's time to go," he said. "It's not anything I am really looking forward to, but there just comes a time and a place when you've got to move on. I've got a lot of things I want to do."
Wheeler confirmed he has a deal to write a book about his 40-plus years in racing and plans to resume production of a television show for Speed Channel this fall. He also will serve as chairman of the Charlotte Regional Partnership.
Wheeler also said he wants to spend more time with family and friends.
"I've got a few years left and I am going to enjoy them," Wheeler said.
While Wheeler said he plans to take some time off after what will be his 33rd Coca-Cola 600, he also said he would be open to some role with NASCAR. Wheeler said he talked with NASCAR chairman Brian France and president Mike Helton on the phone before his news conference.
"I would probably be available to do that with NASCAR," Wheeler said. "I've had a close relationship with them. ...I feel like there are a lot of challenges there. We'll just have to see."