SCOTT R. SMITH PROMOTED TO SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER AT O’REILLY RACEWAY PARK AT INDIANAPOLIS

 It was announced by ORP general manager Ron Anderson.

Smith joined the NHRA’s team at ORP in February 2002 and during his tenure has done an outstanding job of promoting ORP and NHRA in the Indianapolis market.

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In his new role, Smith will continue to head communications operations at ORP and will add several new responsibilities, including an expanded role in media relations activities for several NHRA national events. Working with the NHRA corporate communications team, he will serve as the lead media relations manager for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at ORP, the world’s most prestigious drag race, and provide media center support at other races.

“We are pleased to announce that Scott has earned a well-deserved promotion and will expand his duties as senior communications manager for O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis ,” Anderson said. “A solid team player, he has done a great job of increasing the visibility of ORP and NHRA with the media in the Indianapolis market as well as on a national level during his time here.”

Each week Smith communicates the story of ORP and its wide variety of events to the media and public. He has created a text-message service to notify racers of the latest event information, as well as created several Internet-based tools for communicating with media, fans and racers, including the weekly e-mail newsletter, ORP Press Pass.

Smith will increase his efforts in supporting NHRA POWERade Series events as well as his ongoing efforts with the local Indianapolis media to publicize NHRA POWERade Series drivers who live there on a regular basis. He will also continue to promote all ORP events including the NASCAR Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series races, USAC and the numerous other events that take place during the year.       

“I am very excited to start this next phase of my career with ORP and the NHRA because I believe both have numerous compelling stories yet to be told and I look forward to working with the media on these ideas,” said Smith.  “I will also strive to use emerging Internet and communications tools to get information out to our visitors before they attend ORP events and while they are at the facility.”

Smith is currently a Governor appointee to the Indiana State Tourism Council and serves as a board member for both Leadership Hendricks County and Youth as Resources.

Prior to joining NHRA, Smith served as a bureau producer for ESPN2’s motorsports news programming.

He and his wife Jaime live in Pittsboro , Ind.

One of five drag racing facilities owned and operated by the National Hot Rod Association, O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis was built in 1960 and has presented organized racing events since 1961.  From March through October, the facility hosts more than 120 dates of racing on three tracks, a quarter-mile drag strip, a .686-mile paved oval and a 2.5-mile road course.  Home to drag racing’s biggest event, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals each Labor Day weekend, the drag strip runs more than 50 days of point-to-point action, from national events to street legal community programs.  The oval track draws racing’s biggest events, including annual visits from the NASCAR Nationwide, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and three annual USAC races.  The road course provides a home for several racing sanctions, such as SCCA, while providing an ideal resource for driving schools, corporate outings and open-road tests for professional drivers.

Headquartered in Glendora , Calif. , NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States . It presents 24 national events through its NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. NHRA has 80,000 members and 140 member tracks. The NHRA-sanctioned sportsman and bracket racing series provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels. The NHRA develops the stars of tomorrow by offering the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Street Legal Drags presented by AAA. NHRA also offers the O’Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 8 to 17.