Innovative Smith worthy of hall

Hall of Fame honors all too often come too late.

That, sadly, could happen to Ollen Bruton Smith.

The third class of five inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame was announced Tuesday, and the venerable magnate of oval tracks wasn't even among the 25 nominees.

Hall selections always stir debates, regardless of sport. That's part of the fun, at least for fans.

Smith, founder of Speedway Motorsports and the most innovative racetrack owner in history, will have to wait at least another year for his name to possibly be called.

Induction classes for the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Museum in Charlotte, N.C., have been limited to five inductees in each of the first two years -- and at that rate, it will take a decade to catch up with the sport's rich history that dates to 1948.

Racers are the hall's cornerstone, with team owners and crew chiefs worthy of a brick or two. But without tracks on which to race, there is no foundation.

Had Smith not built Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1959, the area might not be today's hub for NASCAR, not to mention where the hall is located.

The man simply known as Bruton by most in the sport has been a wizard at elevating racing facilities to a level on par with the classiest stick-and-ball stadiums.

Smith, 84, chuckled in a recent conversation when asked if it bothered him not to have been nominated.

"A lot of people ask me that," he said. "But it really doesn't matter to me."

It might not matter to Smith, but it should matter to the rest of us.

"I enjoy doing what I do," he said. "And I enjoy building things."

Smith is the majority stockholder of SMI, which owns eight tracks that host 12 Sprint Cup races.

Smith and SMI purchased Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 1998 from a group headed by Richie Clyne with investors Ralph Engelstad and Bill Bennett, the original owners who built LVMS. Smith has invested about $100 million into the facility, transforming it into a pleasure palace.

In the world of SMI, a publicly held corporation, Smith's executives often refer to "Bruton's three Ts: toilets, tickets, traffic." Build more, sell more, plan more.

Consider these innovations Smith directed:

■ In 1984, many race observers scoffed when he built track-side condominiums at the Charlotte track, but the condos quickly sold, and others were added. He's done the same at his tracks in Fort Worth, Texas, and Atlanta.

■ In 1992, he and former SMI president Humpy Wheeler, a longtime Smith friend and associate, helped develop a revolutionary track lighting system that has become the industry standard.

■ He emphasized building luxury sky boxes, acknowledging the need to provide an upscale experience for business executives as a means to lure corporate America to grow stock car racing.

But he never lets the VIP experience overshadow the fan experience.

When I began covering LVMS in 1999, I was stunned to learn that one of Smith's first projects was to remodel the lobby and gift shop of the speedway's office building using marble tile and other accoutrements befitting the entry of an upscale Strip hotel.

That told me that this self-made legend was big on first impressions.

"Bruton's innovations, most of which have come with the fans' interests at heart, changed the sport and how people watch the sport," LVMS president Chris Powell said. "He's enjoyed taking risks, and when people said he'd fail, he succeeded."

In nominating its candidates, the hall's selection committee has not appreciated Smith's revolutionary vision for NASCAR.

He should receive that appreciation while he's alive to enjoy it.

Jeff Wolf's motor sports column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at jwolf@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0247. Visit lvrj.com/motorsports for more news and commentary. Follow Wolf on Twitter: @lvrjwolf.