Charlotte Motor Speedway President and General Manager Marcus Smith awarded Travis Carter, one of NASCAR's most accomplished crew chiefs and car owners, with the speedway's prestigious Smokey Yunick Award on Sunday prior to the Bank of America 500.

Instituted in 1997, the Smokey Yunick Award annually recognizes an individual whose lifelong efforts have had a major impact on the motorsports industry.

Carter won the 1982 Bank of America 500 as crew chief for legendary driver Harry Gant and was crew chief for Benny Parsons in 1973 when Parsons claimed the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

"This is a special honor that we give to celebrate those who have really helped build our sport into what it is today," Smith said. "We couldn't be more pleased to present Travis with this award."

Carter, an Ellerbe, North Carolina, native, won 11 races as a crew chief and served as a Sprint Cup Series car owner from 1990-2003 with NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip among the drivers who piloted Carter's cars.

"This is a very special award to me, particularly having come from the era of the early 1970s, racing with a lot of fine people," Carter said. "It was a long, rocky road in a lot of ways but it was fun and very satisfying. I'm deeply moved by this presentation and this award."

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