CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With NASCAR Chairman Brian France taking a leave from his family owned company following his arrest Sunday night on charges of driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of oxycodone,Jim France, uncle to Brian France, has assumed the interim titles of Chairman and CEO and is assisted by Lesa France Kennedy, Brian’s sister.
A day after the shake-up, few seemed concerned about the direction of NASCAR with Brian France sidelined.
“Lesa and Jim are going to do a great job,” Denny Hamlin said Tuesday. “I’m confident in the leadership of NASCAR. I know all of the executives really, really well. I get invited into some very intense meetings with them at times, and am very confident that those guys can take the reins and do a great job.”
Because NASCAR is privately owned and run in large part by Brian France, Jim France and Lesa France Kennedy, there is no clear indication of how hands-on Brian France was or what kind of void his absence will create. The stakeholders are hopeful Jim France, the second son of NASCAR’s founder, can be a steadying hand in trying times for the series.
“We’ve got to look to our sport’s future, what we can change and what we can do next,” said Kyle Busch. “Brian’s been our leader for a long time. Look forward now to the opportunity to have Jim France in there.”
Jim France and Lesa France Kennedy have always been in the mix of both NASCAR and International Speedway Corp., but the role of face of the family fell to Brian. He’s the grandson of founder Bill France Sr. and replaced his father, Bill France Jr., as head of NASCAR in 2003.
Brian France took charge during a time the sport was booming in popularity. Although many of Brian France’s initiatives were progressive and needed in some form, staunch fans have vehemently rejected his vision.
Brian France introduced a playoff system, overhauled the design of the series’ cars and pushed for diversity within the circuit’s predominantly white, male ranks.
But as viewership has declined, sponsors have pulled out of NASCAR and Brian France has not made himself available to the public.
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