ZMAX DRAGWAY ROARS TO LIFE
Call it a miracle, call it what you want, but call it a masterpiece …
He did it.
Bruton Smith took drag strip construction to the next level, a level that is likely to stand for years.
As a handful of media members and dignitaries sat on neatly positioned chairs in what is expected to be the left lane of drag strip No. 2, the Pro Stockers of Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Dave Connolly did burn outs slicing through the ceremonial ribbon, replacing the more traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Call it a miracle, call it what you want, but call it a masterpiece …
He did it.
Bruton Smith took drag strip construction to the next level, a level that is likely to stand for years.
As a handful of media members and dignitaries sat on neatly positioned chairs in what is expected to be the left lane of drag strip No. 2, the Pro Stockers of Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Dave Connolly did burn outs slicing through the ceremonial ribbon, replacing the more traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Construction on the zMax Drag Strip in Concord, N.C., required 300 workers per day which accounted for 636,000 man hours and for the most part wrapped up in a little over six months. A grand total of 1,876 workers were involved represented 56 different contractors.
That’s how Bruton Smith rolls.
“This is a historic point in my life to get a project this big completed in such a short time,” Bruton Smith said.
Marcus Smith was appointed President of zMax Dragway and Lowe’s Motor Speedway earlier this season. The son of Bruton Smith beams when he discusses the new strip.
The finished product was enough to impress auto racing’s premiere mover and shaker.
“I hope everyone is as proud of this zMax Dragway as I am,” said the elder Smith. “Without question I can brag that this is the best of the best. This is the Bellagio of all of drag racing. This is a facility I hope will be viewed as bringing drag racing up a notch. That’s what we are all about.”
The memories of a fight with the City of Concord over approval of the drag strip on the property of Lowe’s Motor Speedway proved to be a distant memory as mayor Scott Padgett sat alongside NHRA President Tom Compton.
Concord initially voted no to the drag strip but later rescinded that vote amidst the reality Bruton Smith would take his project elsewhere. In the end, he delivered not only to the Concord, but also Cabarrus County the only true national event drag racing facility the Charlotte market has ever had.
It’s obviously an understatement to say that the drag racing community is anxious to come here for the inaugural Carolinas Nationals. The zMax Dragway is unbelievable and truly the finest facility I’ve ever seen. They [SMI] have a history of building great facilities and have a tendency to keep one-upping themselves. They hit the grand slam on this one. This facility represents the future. As new drag strips are built, this will be the standard in which they are based on. - Tom Compton, President of NHRA
The road outside of the facility was renamed Bruton Smith Boulevard officially in time for the opening of the new zMax Dragway.
“This is a very big moment in our history too,” Padgett said. “We are standing in the middle of a $60 million investment on Bruton Smith Boulevard. He told us the day we named the road, he wanted to build the Bellagio of drag strips. He wanted to build the finest. I think we can say mission accomplished.”
Padgett admitted to staying a night at the Bellagio in Las Vegas and remembered the room cost. He even got the smallest room he could get.
“I think the people that buy a ticket for this event are going to get a better bargain than I did,” Padgett added. “I think we are solidifying ourselves as the epicenter of the motor sports in the United States.”
The inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway currently has a four-day pass available for $99.
It is estimated the impact of Lowe’s Motor Speedway on the local economy represents $360 million dollars. With the addition of zMax Dragway, that number is expected to grow another $26 million dollars.
One thing that is important to Padgett, don’t confuse Concord with Charlotte.
“zMax Dragway in Concord, USA – that has a nice ring to it,” Padgett added. “I’ve had to remind a few people that this is not Charlotte. We are in Concord and we are proud of this facility.”
Bruton Smith is even more proud of his team who pulled off the seemingly impossible feat with time to spare.
“This kind of project takes cement and skill, but most of all it takes people and I am proud of our people,” Bruton Smith said, as he pointed out SMI Engineers Steve Swift and Jeff Black during the ribbon cutting ceremonies.
So impressed with the end product was Smith that he wants to contact Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps to seek the purchase of two gold medals. Phelps has won eight gold medals during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
“I think you guys worked maybe harder than he did,” Smith said, joking. “He’s over in China getting all of that gold and gonna bring it back. How’s he going to use it all? He ought to be able to sell us two.”
With what Bruton has already pulled off, don’t bet against him to get it done.
