SOME LIKE IT HOT: BRUTON SMITH MAKES BID FOR NHRA

          Speedway Motorsports (SMI) Chair Bruton Smith has made
     an offer to purchase the NHRA, according to Tony Fabrizio of
     the DALLAS MORNING NEWS.  Smith said that he "has submitted
     a contract proposal to the NHRA but declined to provide any
     details."  NHRA officials could not be reached for comment. 
     Asked where his offer stands, Smith said he's waiting for a
     reply: "They're a non-profit organization, and it's up to
     the present board."  Fabrizio writes that SMI is "fast
     becoming a major player in drag racing," as it owns drag
     racing facilities in Sonoma, CA, and Bristol, TN, and is
     building a new facility in Las Vegas.  Fabrizio: "Smith
     wouldn't say what he would do with the NHRA if he acquired
     it, but he has said on previous occasions he believes the
     sport's format needs to be changed to better accommodate
     television" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 9/27).