Speedway Motorsports officials, in recognition of exemplary performance and exceptional service on behalf of and its world-class entertainment facilities, recognized the 2024 recipients for the company’s O. Bruton Smith Award, Promoter of the Year, Speedway of the Year and the Acceleration Award. Announcements were made Thursday night at the Duke Mansion in Charlotte, where the NASCAR industry is celebrating Champions’ Week.
Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Susan McKee was named the 2024 O. Bruton Smith Award winner, while Dover Motor Speedway President and General Manager Mike Tatoian earned Promoter of the Year honors. Las Vegas Motor Speedway received the Speedway of the Year award and Sonoma Raceway earned the third annual Acceleration Award.
“Speedway Motorsports strives to exceed expectations in the sports and entertainment space through every interaction with fans, partners and stakeholders,” said Marcus Smith, president and CEO of Speedway Motorsports. “It is an honor to recognize some of the company’s standout leaders and our teams across the country whose commitment to excellence drive our company forward. Our success is possible because of their hard work and dedication to making every event remarkable, and I am grateful for the efforts our teammates put forth to achieve success.”
O. Bruton Smith Award
Charlotte Motor Speedway Senior Director of Human Resources and IT, Susan McKee, received the 2024 O. Bruton Smith Award.
Established 12 years ago to recognize one employee annually across all of Speedway Motorsports and its subsidiaries, the recipient of this prestigious award is someone who exhibits Speedway Motorsports’ founder O. Bruton Smith’s traits: character, enthusiasm, drive, a heart for helping others, respect/appreciation for team members, vision and determination.
A 36-year veteran of Speedway Motorsports, McKee oversees the day-to-day HR and IT needs across Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 1,000-acre campus. She also leads the speedway’s Pit Crew, planning, organizing and directing volunteer efforts throughout the year. In August, McKee oversaw Charlotte Motor Speedway’s annual Day of Service, during which 84 employee volunteers came together for a work day that netted more than 275 hours of labor, supporting six area nonprofits. Following Hurricane Helene’s devastation across western North Carolina, McKee spearheaded a month-long donation drive that yielded 650 pallets of food, water, clothing and supplies to be donated to impacted areas across the western part of the state.
“Susan stands out among our team in a way that makes us all so proud, and she is certainly deserving of this honor,” said Smith. “You can’t delegate or trust people to do things who don’t get it done, and she gets it done. She goes above and beyond.”
Promoter of the Year
Dover Motor Speedway President and General Manager Mike Tatoian was named Promoter of the Year. The annual award is chosen by the selection committee and given to one Speedway Motorsports general manager who best displayed the creativity, innovation, leadership and execution that are fundamental to Speedway Motorsports’ way of doing business.
Tatoian and his team were heralded for efforts around civic and government relations, hosting one of the biggest events of the year for Speedway Motorsports, and for a tireless commitment to creating a remarkable fan experience for each person who visits the Delaware track.
“Mike and the team at Dover Motor Speedway have been firing on all cylinders this year,” said Speedway Motorsports Executive Vice President and Chief Operation Officer Mike Burch in presenting the award. “Dover is one of our top ticket-selling venues, driven by Mike’s exceptional promotional efforts both at the track and in the community. Their fan zone is unmatched, featuring unique entertainment like the Philadelphia Mummers, the world’s largest rubber duck, and a host of engaging displays. Mike’s ability to connect with civic, business, and military leaders has amplified Dover’s presence, making it a must-visit destination for race fans and a pillar of the local community.”
Speedway of the Year
Las Vegas Motor Speedway received Speedway of the Year recognition, edging out 10 state-of-the-art Speedway Motorsports entertainment complexes to earn top honors 10 of the last 13 years. The award was presented to LVMS President and General Manager Chris Powell for the best overall performance during 2024 in such aspects as fan friendliness, attendance, financial performance, sponsor relations and creativity.
In presenting the award, Smith highlighted the facility’s outstanding performance in generating revenue, including a record year for the Electric Daisy Carnival multi-day music festival that drew nearly 200,000 people per day this year.
“We have so many people who contribute to this,” Powell said of the award. “It’s not just the sales people who create the revenue. It’s the hard-working maintenance people who make sure that a track rental on Friday night is turned over for a different rental on Saturday. All of our employees across the speedway make it happen, and I appreciate all of them.”
Acceleration Award
Sonoma Raceway received the third annual Acceleration Award, presented to a Speedway Motorsports subsidiary in recognition of year-over-year improvement across a number of different metrics. Sonoma Raceway’s Executive Vice President and General Manager Brian Flynn accepted the award on behalf of the Sonoma Raceway team.
Bolstered by increased use of the raceway’s luxury Turn 11 facility for track rentals and a range of cost-saving measures that improved efficiencies across the property without impacting the overall fan experience, Sonoma Raceway excelled in 2024, Flynn’s first full year with the company.
“First I spent 25 years with Richard Petty and now I get to work with the Smiths, so I’m blessed,” said Flynn. “These guys put up with our hair-brain ideas. We try to get better every day. We try to keep our nose clean, take care of the team, take care of our corporate clients and take care of the business. It’s really those legs that make everything work.”
“We lead the way,” said Burch. “We constantly have people from other sports, other facilities, come to us and saying, ‘How did you do this? How did you do that?’ We’re more than willing to give them our play books because it’s not about the processes; it’s not about the facilities. You need those things, but it comes down to the people. That’s what makes the difference, and you cannot copy our people. You cannot copy our culture.”
