NASCAR quietly moves on from France arrest
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR needed 99 races for budding superstar Chase Elliott to finally win his first Cup race and didn’t even get a full day to celebrate the milestone.
NASCAR chairman Brian France has taken a leave from his family-owned company following his arrest Sunday night on charges of driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of oxycodone. France blew through a stop sign in Sag Harbor, New York, police said, not long after Elliott crossed the finish line about 350 miles away in Watkins Glen.
Police said at the time he was pulled over that France struggled to keep his balance during field sobriety tests, his eyes were red and glassy and tests showed his blood-alcohol content was nearly twice New York’s legal limit. Officers found five oxycodone pills during a subsequent search, police said.
The head of the most popular racing series in the United States spent the night in jail — a punch to the gut for a series reeling from slumping attendance and television ratings and a decline in blockbuster sponsorship deals. France shifted the attention away from Elliott’s victory, which signified a passing of the torch and a rare feel-good moment at a time of almost constant negativity in NASCAR.
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 shakeup, few seemed concerned about the direction
of NASCAR with Brian France sidelined.
“Lesa and Jim are going to do a great job,” driver 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.”
The stakeholders are hopeful Jim France, the second son of NASCAR’s founder, can be a steadying hand in trying timess.
“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.”
Brian replaced his father, Bill France Jr., as head of NASCAR in 2003. He took charge during a time the sport was booming in popularity and sponsors were beating down the door to get their logos on race cars. 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 and Brian France has not made himself available to the public. He appeared increasingly detached from NASCAR the past several seasons and is rarely seen at a race.
If the rest of the France family is taking charge, the message needs to be delivered publicly, said Ramsey Poston, who spent more than 10 years as a communications executive for NASCAR.
“It will be important for NASCAR leadership to reassure key partners that the sport is in good hands and is positively moving forward,” said Poston, who is now president of consulting firm Tuckahoe Strategies. “Very quickly, Jim France and others should be working on a plan to restore confidence in the sport and roll out a definitive vision for the future.”