He confessed that NASCAR has seen its fair share of fights this year. But Denny Hamlin has yet to face any rival drivers. However, he made up for this gap by clashing with the owner of a track. In early April, Hamlin was involved in an online feud with Marcus Smith, CEO and president of NASCAR’s second-largest track operator, Speedway Motorsports Inc. The bone of contention was simple: Some of Smith’s tracks were coming unstuck. visibly.
Over the past two decades, SMI has undergone several repavings. Despite Smith’s enormous ambitions to make a good impact, most drivers were afraid of the repaving. This debate has continued until now, and Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr joined in.
Martin Truex Jr makes a harsh criticism of SMI
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When Smith became manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2008, tickets barely sold and profits plummeted. That’s why he wanted to improve the slopes. Marcus Smith took over presidential duties at SMI in 2015 after his father, Bruton Smith, resigned. While the latter built much of SMI’s holdings in terms of steel, concrete and asphalt, Marcus wanted to take it up a notch.
Thus came the infamous repaving stories, where the feud with Denny Hamlin originated. Recently, Hamlin’s ominous prediction about the North Wilkesboro Speedway was proven correct. Now, ahead of the Charlotte race, Martin Truex Jr also chose to criticize the SMI president’s tactics. In addition to the crumbling clues, he also hilariously added a device malfunction.
Recently, while speaking to the media, Martin Truex Jr said that the benefits of the track are “negative.” He then added a 10-word taunt to SMI. “As soon as you show up, your phone stops working.” He went on to say, “That’s pretty much the status quo at all SMI tracks.”
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August 31, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, United States; Martin Truex Jr. answers questions from the media at the Charlotte Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Keynote USA Sports
The apprehensions of Martin Truex Jr date back to 2018 when the Charlotte Roval came to life. SMI invented a hybrid track with the existing race track along with a winding course through the countryside. The 17-turn, 2.28-mile course has a 35-foot elevation change. All the drivers expressed their doubts in unison, while Truex simply revealed a fearful attitude.
Martin Truex Jr said in 2018: “I’m terrified. I feel really bad for the guys who are going to come in and have to do something. “I think everyone is scared to death of that place.” Six years later, the JGR driver shares similar feelings. He confessed the same to the press: “I hate the Roval.”
SMI’s runway resurfacing under the direction of Marcus Smith included runways such as Kentucky, Texas and Atlanta. While most of them reduced the quality of racing and the fan experience, the previous repavings were more concerning.
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Previous work on SMI also attracted attention
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While Marcus Smith currently gets the blame from the NASCAR community, his father also went through some tough times. Bruton Smith also oversaw the resurfacing of a famously tragic track that garnered no better results from drivers and fans. SMI repaved Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2005 using a process called “Levigation” to smooth out potholes. The result was disastrous.
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August 20, 2023; Watkins Glen, New York, United States; NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Cindric (2) leads a field of cars during Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Keynote USA Sports
Numerous tire failures occurred during the race which consisted of 37 caution flags. While fans enjoyed the show, things needed changing. Then Bruton Smith got creative again in 2007 and added a progressive bank at Bristol Motor Speedway. This robbed Bristol of its past excitement and the recovery alone reduced attendance at the track throughout the 2010s. After being a major failure, Bristol later re-emerged.
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Therefore, JGR veterans singling out Marcus Smith comes as no surprise, as SMI’s reputation hasn’t been the best when it comes to experimenting with their tracks.
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