Ed Clark, who retired this season after 25 years as president of Atlanta Motor Speedway, was honored Tuesday as the 2020 recipient of the prestigious Buddy Shuman Award.
Clark spent the majority of his career with Speedway Motorsports Inc., joining the company in 1981 after beginning his career at Bristol Raceway (now Bristol Motor Speedway). He worked in public relations at Charlotte Motor Speedway before shifting to the Atlanta venue in 1992, first as the track’s general manager and three years later, as its president.
“I cannot think of anyone as deserving as Ed Clark to be receiving the Buddy Shuman Award for 2020,” said Mike Helton, former NASCAR President and longtime friend of Clark. “Everyone in our sport knows Ed and his solid character. This award will hopefully contribute to thanking him for his many contributions over nearly 50 years that have made the sport better for NASCAR, our competitors, but most importantly, our fans.”
The award, now in its 64th year, recognizes individuals and organizations whose efforts and contributions helped advance the sport of stock-car racing. It is named for pioneering driver Louis Grier “Buddy ” Shuman, who perished in a hotel fire in 1955.
Shuman was one of NASCAR’s earliest stars, both a talented driver and pioneering technical inspector — and above all, a beloved member of the racing community.
Clark’s recognition marks the fourth consecutive year that the award has been presented to a track operator. Other recent winners include Dover Motorsports’ Denis McGlynn (2019), Talladega Superspeedway’s Grant Lynch (2018) and NASCAR Hall of Famer Bruton Smith of Speedway Motorsports (2017).
While at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Clark was part of the team that helped launch the inaugural NASCAR All-Star Race. He delivered the command to fire engines for the 36th annual All-Star Open this year, which marked the invitational event’s first running at Bristol Motor Speedway.