In recognition of years of dedicated service and tireless efforts on behalf of Charlotte Motor Speedway, Speedway Motorsports’ CEO Marcus Smith announced the promotion of two veterans within the company. David MacDonald has been named vice president of marketing for Charlotte Motor Speedway; with the promotion, MacDonald adds oversight responsibilities for the marketing efforts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Longtime Charlotte Motor Speedway Vice President of Communications Scott Cooper has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Public Relations for Speedway Motorsports. He will retain his retain his role as head of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s communications team, and adds responsibilities for New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Speedway Motorsports.
“Speedway Motorsports prides itself on developing strong leaders and promoting from within,” Smith said. “With dogged determination and a customer-first approach, David and Scott both exemplify the qualities and characteristics that have positioned Charlotte Motor Speedway among the top entertainment sports venues in the world. I look forward to all that they will bring to Speedway Motorsports in their respective new roles.”
Originally, from Eastern Canada, MacDonald earned a Master of Business Administration degree in marketing from St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He worked with Unilever Canada for a decade, starting in their sales group and rising through the ranks into brand management at Unilever’s head office in Toronto.
With more than 20 years of marketing and brand management experience on his resume, MacDonald joined Charlotte Motor Speedway as director of advertising in 2008. His team is responsible for strategy, marketing, planning, creative development, media negotiations and all digital execution for the speedway’s robust event schedule. In his new role, MacDonald will add oversight responsibilities for New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s marketing team.
A native North Carolinian, Cooper earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1990. He joined Charlotte Motor Speedway as senior manager of promotions and media relations in 1999, after nearly a decade working in local television news and sports. In 2004, Cooper was named director of marketing and public relations, and he assumed the role of vice president of communications and public relations in 2007.
In his most recent role, Cooper was tasked with planning, execution and oversight of all media relations activities and communications for Charlotte Motor Speedway, zMAX Dragway and The Dirt Track at Charlotte. He also spearheads event-day media operations as well as supervision of the speedway’s social media. As senior vice president for Speedway Motorsports, Cooper adds responsibility for all public relations and communications efforts for New Hampshire Motor Speedway as well as all internal and external communications for parent company Speedway Motorsports.
SMI PR
