As part of its effort to recognize the success across its premier motorsports facilities, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. officials have named Vice President of Operations and Development Stephen Swift as the O. Bruton Smith Award recipient for 2016. In addition, Bristol Motor Speedway earned Track of the Year honors and Bristol General Manager Jerry Caldwell was recognized as Promoter of the Year for the second straight year.
Annually presented to one employee across all of Speedway Motorsports and its subsidiaries, the Bruton Smith Award recognizes someone who exhibits the traits that define Speedway Motorsports Executive Chairman and Founder O. Bruton Smith: character, enthusiasm, drive, a heart for helping others, respect and appreciation for team members, vision and determination. A 2000 graduate of East Tennessee State University, Swift joined the Speedway Motorsports family as a construction manager in June 2004. He became the vice president of operations and development at Kentucky Speedway in July 2011 and acquired the same title under the Speedway Motorsports banner last year. His numerous contributions to the company include playing a pivotal role in Kentucky Speedway’s repaving project, which drew positive reviews after July’s Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts.
Bristol Motor Speedway was chosen as Track of the Year from among the eight Speedway Motorsports facilities. The award is presented annually for best overall performance in aspects such as fan friendliness, attendance, financial performance, sponsor relations and creativity. In 2016, Bristol Motor Speedway hosted a thrilling entertainment lineup which included two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, two NASCAR XFINITY Series races, one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event, an NHRA drag race weekend and the first-of-its-kind Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol college football game in the speedway’s infield. The long-awaited showdown between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Virginia Tech Hokies included a record crowd of 156,900 people packed into ‘The Last Great Colosseum’ for a showcase event that set a Guinness World Record for college football attendance. Bristol’s impressive year also featured the heralded debut of ‘Colossus,’ the world’s largest four-sided video board which features four 30-foot-by-63-foot screens suspended from cables above the speedway.
The Promoter of the Year award is presented by Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith to the general manager who best displayed the creativity, innovation, leadership, planning and execution that are fundamental to the company’s success. For the second consecutive year, Jerry Caldwell was honored for outstanding achievement promoting both of Bristol Motor Speedway’s 2016 NASCAR event weeks, plus the Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, ‘Colossus” introduction and the Honda Ridgeline Presents Bristol’s Tailgate Party concert, which celebrated Kenny Chesney’s homecoming to his native east Tennessee. The Bristol branch of Speedway Children’s Charities also played a prominent role in the year’s success, raising more than one million dollars through events including The Pinnacle Speedway in Lights.(Speedway Motorsports)(12-8-2016)
