Speed Channel's open wheel racing reporter Robin Miller, known to many NASCAR fans only as a frequent guest on "Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain," reported a rumor Saturday that Brian France will step down as Chief Executive Officer of NASCAR.The rumor claims that Brian would be replaced by his uncle Jim, brother of the late Bill Jr. and current CEO of NASCAR's International Speedway Corporation. That move would presumably open the door for current ISC President Lesa France Kennedy, Brian's sister, to move up.
Ok ... so that sounds unlikely, but plausible. Until you get to the part about where the rumor has Brian headed: to the non-NASCAR related Grand Am Road Racing Association.
No way. I think we can assume that if they younger France were to step down, it wouldn't be by choice. But even if the family forced him to step aside from the big role, I don't see them pushing him completely out the door. And unless NASCAR is somehow acquiring Grand Am (they're not ... right?), I really don't see France leaving the family business to go there--or any place else, for that matter.
Then again, we've all seen how the dynamics of a NASCAR family business can change after a principle member of the family passes on. Still, I say this is a highly doubtful scenario.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-21-2007 @ 10:27AM
Kim said...
Hmmmm...This is a very interesting article indeed. I wonder if it will really come true? I mean the France family can't possibly be oblivious to the fact that Brian France has upset many sponsors, drivers, and fans alike. I mean many have been screaming for his replacement for years. I for one can't wait to see how this plays out. I have one opinion though. If you get rid of Brian France then you have to get rid of Robin, too. The two of them together have been nothing but a disaster for Nascar! It's time we get someone involved that REALLY knows what they are doing. First on their list should be to quit trying to turn Nascar into a international sport and concentrate more on widening its fanbase here in the US by adding more tracks in states that don't have them, showing more races on primary channels instead of more than half the season on cable networks only (not everyone can afford cable or sattelite t.v.), and work on getting rid of this "red-neck fan stigma" by promoting the sport better.
The above is just my opinion of course. :-) Nice article, TGOM!
Kim
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10-21-2007 @ 11:37AM
Brad said...
Yeah Kim but no matter how they shuffle the deck it looks like were still gonna be playing with the same deck of cards!!! All in the familia and all. It don't matter what color or logo you put on a race car if the same person(FAMILY) is driving it....it will probably still be headed in the same direction.
Aloha, Brad
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10-21-2007 @ 12:43PM
Mtnskier said...
Grand Am is involved, as Jim France is the founder and current CEO of Grand Am. Jim is also Vice Chairman of NASCAR. As the late Bill Jr.s brother, he would be a bit of return to old school and could right the ship. Maybe he could be the perfect dictator to navigate NASCAR through its current mess.
Jim has made Grand Am a competitor to American LeMans (though both are miniscule compared to NASCAR, they are both relatively stable). His access to ISCs speedways with road courses is undoubtedly invaluable--think 24 Hours of Daytona. But he has grown a sanctioning body successfully--something neither Brian nor any other living member of the France clan can claim.
Perhaps we'll team up Brian and his sports-car-driving cousin J.C. France (Jim's son) in the 24 Hours of Daytona. J.C.'s co-driver Hurley Haywood (talk about old school!) in the #59 Brumos Porsche must shudder at the thought....
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10-22-2007 @ 5:55AM
rob said...
Could our prayers actually be answered? Now, if they can wait til Christmas Eve to announce, it would really be perfect.
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10-22-2007 @ 1:44PM
CRP said...
I have to admit that I was not a Dale Earnhardt Sr. #3 fan, but I can't help but wonder if he were still alive if things would be the way they are in Nascar. There are plenty of good young drivers in this country to drive in Nascar without the influx of these foreign drivers. Look what happen to IRL and Cart. No one could understand what the drivers were saying and it seemed they pushed hard to recruit foreign drivers. I wonder why Tony Stewart came to Nascar. I personally think that with the current ownership of Nascar, they are trying to grow the Monopoly that they already have, It needs to have a governing body that can vote as to make changes in the sport, not just because one person wants to make the decision. It will not surprise me that one day some teams that are disgusted with the rules Nascar comes up with defect and begin their own series, does anyone remember The World of Outlaws, they defected from USAC. Could this happen to Nascar. If they are not careful it certainly could.
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