CONCORD, N.C. — There's a new leader at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, and he's a familiar face to those working with him in Concord.
Speedway Motor Sports made the announcement Saturday that Greg Walter was named president of the Speedway, just a day before the running of the Coca-Cola 600. Walter is a 25-year veteran of Speedway Motorsports and moves up from his role as executive vice president and general manager.
“Greg has shown exemplary leadership in building a tremendous team during his past six years as general manager at Charlotte Motor Speedway,” said Speedway Motorsports President Marcus Smith. “He has earned this title through not only what he has done internally at CMS, but also with his community service at the state, regional and local levels to foster cooperation with public and private entities."
“Greg has enhanced Charlotte Motor Speedway’s reputation as a national destination for not only sports and entertainment, but for putting Fans First and always keeping an eye open for the next great promotional opportunity. He is respected both as a teammate and a head coach by his colleagues. It’s an honor to name Greg Walter the President of Charlotte Motor Speedway," Smith added.
Walter, a three-time Speedway Motorsports Promoter of the Year, is responsible for the daily operations of Charlotte Motor Speedway, which includes the staple 1.5-mile superspeedway along with the zMAX Dragway and The Dirt Track at Charlotte. He's also involved with leadership roles on other executive boards, including the North Carolina Motorsports Association, the North Carolina Travel and Tourism Coalition, the Cabarrus County Economic Development Corporation, the Cabarrus County Visitors and Convention Bureau and the Speedway Children's Charities.
Walter joined Speedway Motorsports in 1999 as the vice president of sales for the Atlanta Motor Speedway. He was promoted to the national sales team in 2014.
Speedway Motorsports notes Walter's career began in local radio broadcasting. After graduating with a degree in journalism from UNC-Chapel Hill, he started working at a small radio station in Wilson, before working in advertising sales and launching 96.1 FM in Charlotte. He then became the head of affiliate and sponsorship sales for ESPN Regional.
Walter then moved to Raleigh-based Capitol Broadcasting after his time with ESPN, overseeing ad sales for national NASCAR radio networks, the Duke University Sports radio network, and the Carolina Hurricanes Television Network. He then joined Speedway Motorsports in Atlanta after five years.