On Thursday night’s edition of NASCAR Race Hub, reporter Wendy Venturini scores an exclusive sit-down interview with Speedway Motorsports Inc., chairman Bruton Smith. As part of the interview, Smith talks of ongoing discussions with his counterparts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway about the possibility of linking the famed Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 … with the possibility that a driver who wins both on the same day earning a $20 million bonus!!!
NASCAR Race Hub: Charlotte Motor Speedway … you guys are reinventing the wheel here every year.
Bruton Smith: We do … we do … we want to surprise the fans. Every time they come, we want them to say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know about that.’ I’m working on something now that I thought would be great, for say, next year. And that is we’ll maybe do something that would cause drivers to get more interested in running (the Indianapolis 500) and then coming here and … driving 1,100 miles of racing. It would take a Superman-type driver to (win both events).
NASCAR Race Hub: I thought the reason some of the drivers backed away from doing (both events) was … I don’t know … a conflict of the (start) times?
Bruton Smith: I’ve talked to Indianapolis and they would start their race at 11 o’clock … we’d have a jet waiting for the drivers. They’d land right here. We’d helicopter them (to the track) and they’d have ample time before they had to get in their car to win the 600. So, we have five or six drivers that could accomplish (winning both events on the same day).
NASCAR Race Hub: That sounds like a cool plan.
Bruton Smith: Maybe we could cause that to happen … and for the driver that wins both events, some huge award. Like maybe $20 million … that would get people’s attention wouldn’t it? (speed tv)
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