Head2Head: Would Smith act upon bluff, move LMS?

So Bruton Smith wants to pack up Lowe's Motor Speedway -- grandstands, garage and SAFER barriers -- and start over someplace else just because he's had a tiff with the local government over the proposed construction of a drag strip on his property.

Well, since he built the place back in 1960, with a little help from driver Curtis Turner, I guess he has the right to do as he pleases. Of course, he also got fired from that job a couple of years later when he ran out of working capital -- and it took him nearly two decades to wrestle back control of the track.

Still, how much of Bruton's brouhaha is baloney? As one of the wealthiest men on the planet, he certainly has the money to do it. Having taken chances on placing new tracks in such far-flung locales as Fort Worth, and Las Vegas, he certainly has the expertise to do it.

The master promoter also has an ego bigger than all of his speedways combined. He's the P.T. Barnum of NASCAR. There are times when it seems as if one could fill an entire fleet of hot-air balloons with his exhortations. But that's part of the reason why he's been so successful. He's supremely talented at reading public opinion.

"Those dang politicians are gonna force him to close down the speedway, Charlene!"

But let's look at the facts instead of the foolishness. Smith is the chairman and chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports Inc., a publicly traded company -- which means he can't make a unilateral move without the approval of the stockholders. Sure, he holds more than 50 percent of the voting power -- but the majority of the corporation's governing board is comprised of independent directors.

Is that board willing to throw away a sizable chunk of the $175 million it receives annually from admissions -- according to the 2006 SMI annual report -- just for the sake of winning a turf war with the Concord City Council? Even if a new site is donated or offered with a tax break, how long would it take -- and at what expense -- to have a new facility in place?

And I'm willing to guess that even though the speedway hosts huge crowds two weekends a year, plus a number of auxiliary events, the local sales tax generated by the Concord Mills shopping center probably adds more to the city's operating budget.

This is nothing more than a grandstand play, hoping public opinion puts pressure on the council to cave in to Bruton's demands. If they think they have the area's best interests in mind, they should stand firm.

The first instinct for everyone was to answer a resounding yes to this question. But upon further review, that's obviously incorrect.

In the end, Smith very well may get what he wanted from the beginning -- to build his $60 million drag strip over the objections of a city council that changed its zoning laws to prevent its construction, citing concerns over noise that might cause sleepless nights and declining property values for homeowners who reside less than a mile from the proposed strip site.

But make no mistake about this. If Smith does not get what he wants, he is, as he has repeatedly said, "deadly serious" about shutting down venerable Lowe's Motor Speedway and building a new complex at another location nearby.

He already has fielded multiple offers from neighboring communities that would love to call a new speedway and drag strip home. One offered 600 acres and grading for his new facility at no cost, Smith said.

With that in mind, he holds every trump card over the Concord City Council. They either cave in to his plans for the drag strip or he takes his business elsewhere. It's that simple.

And while the first scenario seems more likely, it should be obvious that Smith isn't bluffing about the latter.

Already leaders from tourism, business and economic development groups in Concord's Cabarrus County are calling for a settlement in the dispute. Meanwhile, Smith has hired well-known and flamboyant Charlotte lawyer Bill Diehl to mull over his legal options -- yet another sign that he is serious about this.

Here's an idea that might have already crossed Smith's mind: Knowing how successful he has been expanding Bristol Motor Speedway and selling out race after race there, consider what he could do if he built a short track from scratch in the Charlotte, N.C., vicinity. That's something no one else is doing these days -- but if anyone could pull it off and make it highly profitable in the long run, it would be Smith.

It probably won't happen because Smith will get Concord leaders to cave in to his demands. He'll go on to build his drag strip and operate it alongside the land currently occupying Lowe's Motor Speedway and The Dirt Track, both of which will host high-profile events this weekend and more than likely many more in the future.

Is Smith bullying his opponents at the moment? Yes.

But bluffing them? Not really.

It isn't considered bluffing when you hold all the cards to a winning hand.