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Sprint Cup
Hall Of Fame Profile: Bill France Jr., Part 5 Of 5
Bill France Jr. turned his success as a motorsports executive into vast wealth...
Bill France Jr. (Right) is shown with his daughter, Lesa France Kennedy in the early 1980s. (Photo: France Family)
The NASCAR Hall of Fame will induct the five members of its inaugural class May 23. Leading up to the hall’s induction ceremony, SPEEDtv.com is profiling the first five racing legends chosen for this unique honor.
Bill France Jr. turned his success as a motorsports executive into vast wealth. He died a billionaire. And there was a mostly unseen France, a man who was particularly devoted to those who traveled the racing road with him.
He often made his personal jet available for friends who needed to travel for hospital treatments, he kept close checks on ill relatives of staff members, and he made significant personal donations to assist friends and associates who were impacted by fire, hurricane flooding and other problems in the Daytona Beach area. And he was active in civic causes.
He also took the heat well, often fielding tough questions from reporters and more than holding his own. Once, after a controversial race at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, France marched from the infield into the press box to defend a tough decision officials had made during the race.
He enjoyed on-the-road evenings at elite restaurants, but he also dined often at a Steak ’n Shake near his office in Daytona Beach and was in constant pursuit of the perfect hot dog. During race weeks at Daytona International Speedway, he often visited a private speedway grill in the infield to chow on custom-made hamburgers.
France’s two biggest challenges came late in life. One was personal – his long battle against cancer (he was diagnosed in the winter of 1999) and respiratory problems. He had open-heart surgery in 2002. Despite health issues, he remained very much involved in decision-making. When he was no longer able to walk without problems, he drove a small motorized scooter through garage areas.
On a professional level, France and the entire NASCAR hierarchy faced a daunting challenge when the death of iconic driver Dale Earnhardt in 2001 ended a string of on-track deaths and put white-hot heat on the sanctioning body to improve safety. NASCAR brought in outside experts from the automotive and safety worlds and from the public relations industry. It was a rare occasion when France publicly went outside his inner circle for help.
A months-long investigation led to several changes and, ultimately, to a new style of race car. There have been so driver deaths in the sport since Earnhardt was killed.
“It wasn’t uncommon for Bill to have respect for and appreciation for outside help,” NASCAR president Mike Helton said. “At the conclusion of all the outside help, though, Bill would be very adamant about when the decision is made, it’s our decision. I’m asking you for your input, but I’m not taking a vote on anything. We’ll make the decision as to what’s best for NASCAR.
“Bill was very open to the fact that with the series of incidents that we needed help from two fronts about how to fix things and how to understand how to convey all of that and be somewhat more open. That was a very significant timeline moment in our sport. We needed to handle it correctly.”
After he stepped down as NASCAR president, France served as NASCAR chairman until October 2003, when his son, Brian, succeeded him. He remained very active in the sport, however, ignoring the claim he had made upon his retirement as president in 1999 that he would be doing a lot more fishing, one of his favorite recreational activities.
“He lived racing 24/7,” Helton said. “It didn’t matter if he was in 900 feet of water deep-sea fishing or at 30,000 feet on the way to somewhere or sitting wherever he was in the world. He was 24/7. It was his life. It was up until his last breath. That was just his style and his nature. He didn’t have the ability to take it easy or relax.
“He led a very fun life and took a lot of people along with him. He ate and slept that role of being serious about work and about responsibility, but he made it fun along the way for a lot of people.”
Cars were circling the track at Dover, Del. when France died June 4, 2007. The track’s infield United States flag was lowered to half-staff in his honor.
MONDAY: Junior Johnson
Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com and has been covering motorsports for 28 years. He has written several books on NASCAR, including "NASCAR: The Definitive History of America's Sport" and "Then Tony Said To Junior: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told". He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame Grand Opening is set for May 11, 2010. Outdoor Opening Ceremonies are May 11th from 9 to 10 am ET free of charge, open to the public. Outdoor festivities including driver appearances and concerts May 11th from 10 am until 8 pm ET open to the public, free of charge. Tickets to enter the NASCAR Hall of Fame are on sale now at www.NASCARHall.com or by calling 877-231-2010. The countdown to the NASCAR Hall of Fame is on! Visit www.NASCARHall.com/50days for daily updates about the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Bill France Jr. turned his success as a motorsports executive into vast wealth. He died a billionaire. And there was a mostly unseen France, a man who was particularly devoted to those who traveled the racing road with him.
He often made his personal jet available for friends who needed to travel for hospital treatments, he kept close checks on ill relatives of staff members, and he made significant personal donations to assist friends and associates who were impacted by fire, hurricane flooding and other problems in the Daytona Beach area. And he was active in civic causes.
He also took the heat well, often fielding tough questions from reporters and more than holding his own. Once, after a controversial race at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, France marched from the infield into the press box to defend a tough decision officials had made during the race.
He enjoyed on-the-road evenings at elite restaurants, but he also dined often at a Steak ’n Shake near his office in Daytona Beach and was in constant pursuit of the perfect hot dog. During race weeks at Daytona International Speedway, he often visited a private speedway grill in the infield to chow on custom-made hamburgers.
France’s two biggest challenges came late in life. One was personal – his long battle against cancer (he was diagnosed in the winter of 1999) and respiratory problems. He had open-heart surgery in 2002. Despite health issues, he remained very much involved in decision-making. When he was no longer able to walk without problems, he drove a small motorized scooter through garage areas.
On a professional level, France and the entire NASCAR hierarchy faced a daunting challenge when the death of iconic driver Dale Earnhardt in 2001 ended a string of on-track deaths and put white-hot heat on the sanctioning body to improve safety. NASCAR brought in outside experts from the automotive and safety worlds and from the public relations industry. It was a rare occasion when France publicly went outside his inner circle for help.
A months-long investigation led to several changes and, ultimately, to a new style of race car. There have been so driver deaths in the sport since Earnhardt was killed.
“It wasn’t uncommon for Bill to have respect for and appreciation for outside help,” NASCAR president Mike Helton said. “At the conclusion of all the outside help, though, Bill would be very adamant about when the decision is made, it’s our decision. I’m asking you for your input, but I’m not taking a vote on anything. We’ll make the decision as to what’s best for NASCAR.
“Bill was very open to the fact that with the series of incidents that we needed help from two fronts about how to fix things and how to understand how to convey all of that and be somewhat more open. That was a very significant timeline moment in our sport. We needed to handle it correctly.”
After he stepped down as NASCAR president, France served as NASCAR chairman until October 2003, when his son, Brian, succeeded him. He remained very active in the sport, however, ignoring the claim he had made upon his retirement as president in 1999 that he would be doing a lot more fishing, one of his favorite recreational activities.
“He lived racing 24/7,” Helton said. “It didn’t matter if he was in 900 feet of water deep-sea fishing or at 30,000 feet on the way to somewhere or sitting wherever he was in the world. He was 24/7. It was his life. It was up until his last breath. That was just his style and his nature. He didn’t have the ability to take it easy or relax.
“He led a very fun life and took a lot of people along with him. He ate and slept that role of being serious about work and about responsibility, but he made it fun along the way for a lot of people.”
Cars were circling the track at Dover, Del. when France died June 4, 2007. The track’s infield United States flag was lowered to half-staff in his honor.
MONDAY: Junior Johnson
Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com and has been covering motorsports for 28 years. He has written several books on NASCAR, including "NASCAR: The Definitive History of America's Sport" and "Then Tony Said To Junior: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told". He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame Grand Opening is set for May 11, 2010. Outdoor Opening Ceremonies are May 11th from 9 to 10 am ET free of charge, open to the public. Outdoor festivities including driver appearances and concerts May 11th from 10 am until 8 pm ET open to the public, free of charge. Tickets to enter the NASCAR Hall of Fame are on sale now at www.NASCARHall.com or by calling 877-231-2010. The countdown to the NASCAR Hall of Fame is on! Visit www.NASCARHall.com/50days for daily updates about the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
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