January 25 2011 Last updated at 07:09 PM ET
CONCORD, N.C. -- Three tour buses slowly circled Charlotte Motor Speedway Tuesday and stopped on the backstretch, disgorging dozens of media members into the cold winter air next to the construction site of billionaire O. Bruton Smith's latest promotional extravaganza -- the world's HD largest video board.
This television screen will be 200 feet wide by 80 feet high and will tower some 30 feet higher than the backstretch lights. It will be visible -- with an impressively large image -- from every seat of the grandstands stretching from turn four all the way down the frontstretch and well into turn two.
In typical speedway fashion, the announcement included fanfare -- in this case the arrival of Marcus Smith, speedway president, and FOX NASCAR announcers Jeff Hammond and Mike Joy, all driving front end loaders.
But many in the media were more interested in hearing from Marcus Smith's father, Bruton, who parked his jet-black, brand-new Mercedes right there in the middle of the backstretch just a few yards away.
As a promoter, Smith goes back to the earliest days of NASCAR. He's always been the most innovative of the major racing promoters, and he's always been one to speak his mind. So despite the fanfare engineered by his son, when Bruton stepped out of his car, he was the one who was quickly surrounded by eager reporters.
"It's big, I can tell you that," Smith said of the giant HD screen. "By the way, this screen has been completed now (by Panasonic). It was built in China and it's been completed, so now we're doing all the footings and what not, and supposedly it's going to be up and running in April. I think it's going to be a tremendous addition."
Smith was almost uniformly optimistic and positive in his assessment of the 2011 season. The prospects are "very good," he said, because "number one, the recession is over. I said that about eight months ago. Unemployment is not. It takes awhile for that. But 2011 will be great. We can tell that by ticket sales. It's getting better and better and better."
"In the automobile business [Smith owns the Sonic Automotive dealership group], we had the biggest December ever in the history of my company. I'm using that as an example this recession is over. I think that will bleed right down to racing in 2011."
"Maybe this Chase thing -- maybe it's not as important as we thought it was. I think in one or two more years, we'll find out. I think it started off as a good idea, but I think maybe it's time to look at something else. It's not as exciting to the fans now as it was initially."
-- Bruton Smith
Smith said he's generally pleased with NASCAR's stewardship under president Brian France.
"I like Brian," he said. "I think Brian is working hard at it. He has my respect for what he does do. He and I talk frequently and sometimes I make a suggestion. He may consider it, he may not. But at least he listens."
But he was candid as usual, and on this day the subject was the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship.
"Maybe this Chase thing -- maybe it's not as important as we thought it was. I just don't think it's as important as maybe we thought it would be. I think in one or two more years, we'll find out. I think it started off as a good idea, but I think maybe it's time to look at something else. It's not as exciting to the fans now as it was initially."
So what's the solution?
"I'm hung up on (increasing) the purse idea," he said. "We can cure this whole thing with the purse. These race drivers will follow the money. We've got to make every race important and money will do it."
Smith suggested finding sponsors who will put up $1 million to win for every race.
"Money will make them fight for that first place," he said. "That would change the sport."
In other news from the annual Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour, MIchael Waltrip announced here Tuesday morning that he will drive a black No. 15 Toyota in the Daytona 500 in honor of the late Dale Earnhardt. Waltrip was driving a No. 15 Chevy when he won the 2001 Daytona 500 moments after Earnhardt was fatally injured in a crash on the last turn of the last lap.
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