France paved NASCAR’s road to riches

The Associated Press

Published Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Everything NASCAR has today - sold-out races from coast to coast, a full television schedule, major corporate sponsorship and multimillion dollar salaries for its stars - can be credited to Bill France Jr.

France spent 31 years at the helm of his family business, shrewdly taking NASCAR from a backwoods, regional sport into mainstream America. He did it under the premise that no single person was bigger than the sport, a belief that will be practiced long after his death.

Diagnosed with cancer in 1999, France had been in poor health for much of the last decade. He died yesterday at his Daytona Beach, Fla., home. He was 74.

"He’s the one probably most responsible for the state of our sport today," said Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s most popular driver. "We will do our part in continuing his legacy - racing hard, and putting on a good show for the fans.

"I think that’s what he would want us to do."

It was always about the show for France, who learned the business from the inside-out while rising through NASCAR’s ranks. His decisions weren’t always popular, and they often rankled competitors.

But with a sharp tongue and an iron fist, France never wavered in his rulings.

"I’ve never seen anyone who could strike the balance that Bill did. He knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish and rarely compromised, yet always made it a point to be fair," team owner Rick Hendrick said.

Yesterday afternoon, the Nextel Cup series was racing at Dover International Speedway, and officials there lowered the flag to half-staff in victory lane in France’s memory.

"There’s not enough words to describe what he’s meant to this sport and what he’s done for it," two-time series champion Tony Stewart said. "I guarantee it’s the biggest loss in racing since Dale Earnhardt, and it’s probably bigger."

France’s last public appearance was Feb. 12 in Daytona Beach, where NASCAR’s top names gathered to "Roast and Toast" him at the Bill France Hot Dog Dinner.

Even there, especially there, he called the shots. His toasters were gently reminded to avoid any harsh roasting. France did not speak during the dinner but received guests from his seat on the banquet floor.

In between bites of his beloved Pulliams hot dog - he was notorious for his love of the franks from Winston-Salem, N.C. - he uttered his standard response when asked how he was doing.

"I’m on the right side of the grass," the irascible France said, "and there aren’t any roots growing out of my ass."

France became chairman in 1972, replacing his father, NASCAR founder William Henry Getty France, who retired 25 years after forming the National Association for Stock Car Racing. France prepped for the job by doing a little bit of everything during his rise through racing’s grass roots. He was a flagman, sold concessions, parked cars, scored races and promoted events.

"It was not an easy path. He hammered up advertising posters in places like Hillsborough, North Wilkesboro, the old Charlotte Speedway and the beach track at Daytona," Lowe’s Motor Speedway President Humpy Wheeler said. "He did everything from selling tickets to giving broke racers enough money to get home or to the next track. He will go down as one of the great leaders of American sport in the 20th century and his contribution to motorsports is immeasurable."

When he took over NASCAR, he inherited a sport rich in Southern traditions but mostly unknown everywhere else.

"His dad started it, got it up and running, and Junior took it and put the people together to take it from a southern sport to a national sport," seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty said. "He was there where it was developed with the TV, when it was developed with the new cars, where it was developed from half-mile dirt tracks to superspeedways."

France, who had a mild heart attack in 1997, relinquished his role as NASCAR president to Mike Helton and handed off chairman duties to son Brian in 2003.

"The good thing is he built a family oriented sport that has a lot of depth and a lot of strength to it," Helton said. "It will go on. It will go on nonstop, and that’s the greatest tribute to Bill France."