Buyer Has His Eye on NHRA
One of the most influential men in motor sports has his eye on the National Hot Rod Assn., the Glendora-based sanctioning body that oversees most drag racing in the United States.
Bruton Smith, whose Speedway Motorsports Inc., rivals the France family’s International Speedway Corp. in racetrack ownership, told The Times on Friday he wanted to buy the NHRA’s assets.
SMI owns three NHRA drag strips, at Las Vegas, Sonoma and Bristol, Tenn., and could assume control of five others, including Pomona Raceway, if Smith were successful.
“They’ll say they’re not for sale, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to buy them and I’ll try,” Smith said of the NHRA. “I’m hoping they’ll be willing to sell it to me soon and we’ll get the deal done.”
The public stance of the NHRA is that it isn’t available.
“The NHRA is not for sale,” spokesman Jerry Archambeault said. “Bruton’s been great for our sport, he’s been great for NASCAR, he’s a great ambassador and has beautiful facilities.
“We’re flattered that he sees the NHRA as a viable and valuable piece of property. It absolutely increases our stature as a major motor sport.”
Smith said that if he were successful, he hoped to improve the television package of the Powerade Drag Racing Series to include live final rounds, improve facilities, and increase sponsorship in the sport for all teams, perhaps using his affiliation with NASCAR as leverage.
“Maybe we can do some things that will make it better for these owners, the top, the middle and the bottom end,” Smith said.
Tony Pedregon, 2003 funny car champion who owns his own team, was enthusiastic about Smith’s proposal.
“That’s a pretty exciting thought for me and the people I’m around,” he said. “We’re interested in keeping our sponsors and being able to deliver more value, and the value is the TV program, increased ticket sales and improved facilities....
“The NHRA has a great product. We have an opportunity to take a step forward and grow the sport.”
Smith said he was contacted about a potential purchase in 1999, and discussed it again two years ago with NHRA founder Wally Parks. “I was not as interested then as I am now,” Smith said.
The NHRA’s assets include five tracks, in Pomona, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Gainesville, Fla., and Columbus, Ohio.
Smith this week said he would sink $300 million over the next two years into his Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he would relocate the corporate offices of NHRA.