By Bobby Markos
As the 2022 season races towards the finish line, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and co-host Mike Davis invite longtime friend and frequent guest Marcus Smith to the Bojangles Studio for his yearly check-in on The Dale Jr. Download. Smith, the CEO and President of Speedway Motorsports Incorporated (SMI) has been on the show four times before, dating back to the early days in 2016. Much has happened since Marcus’ last appearance in May of last year including the reconfiguration of Atlanta Motor Speedway, the return of racing to North Wilkesboro, and the passing of his father and founder of SMI, Bruton Smith.
Marcus has been CEO of SMI since 2015 and has been a leader of innovation in stock car racing’s speedway experience. The company owns and maintains some of the sport’s most recognizable venues, including Atlanta, Bristol, Sonoma, and Texas. Through SMI’s efforts to rejuvenate its speedway properties, many changes have been made to the NASCAR Cup schedule. With the success of events like the Charlotte ROVAL, the Bristol dirt race, and the recent inclusion of Circuit of the Americas on their resume, Marcus and SMI look towards a future of continued modernization of stock car racing.