Multiple sanctioning body owner/leader, team owner, visionary

How many people ever have played such crucial roles in the viability of stock car, sports car and motorcycle racing? We have a resurgent IMSA because of France and fellow nominee Don Panoz. A resurgent AMA Pro Racing and American Flat Track series because of him. And France became NASCAR CEO at a critical time, after nephew Brian stepped down, navigating the sanctioning body through Covid and reversing sagging ticket sales and TV ratings. The son of NASCAR founder Bill France, he began working for his father’s International Speedway Corp. at 14. He and brother Bill Jr. inherited control of NASCAR and ISC upon Sr.’s 1992 death. France founded the Grand American Road Racing Series in 1999, ultimately merging with Panoz’s ALMS to form the current, thriving IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Most recently France led taking publicly traded ISC private, adding 12 top-tier tracks to NASCAR’s balance sheet. Now NASCAR CEO and Chairman, France oversees three major sanctioning bodies. France received the MSHFA’s Paul Russo Heritage Award in 2014.