The France family dynasty: A history of NASCAR leadership changes

Most of you reading this probably know the story of how NASCAR began. From bootleggers on dirt roads to amateur stock car racing organizations with a loose semblance of structure, and then a history-altering meeting at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach.

36 men were in that fateful 1947 meeting and one of them was Bill France Sr. — the founding father of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. France and his family have run the sport for its entire existence and despite news of significant leadership changes this week, they remain firmly in control.

Jim France is stepping down as CEO, but he remains the Chairman of the Board of Directors, his niece Lesa France Kennedy remains in the role of executive vice chair, and her son, Ben Kennedy, has been promoted to the position of COO.

But with Jim France’s decision to step back from his current role, we thought it would be a great time to look back at every major leadership era in NASCAR.

Bill France Sr. — The founding father of NASCAR

NASCAR visionary Bill France Sr. was the first inductee announced as part of the inaugural Hall of Fame class

After years of trying to put together a proper stock car racing organization, ‘Big Bill’ France officially formed NASCAR in 1948, and the first ‘Strictly Stock’ season took place in 1949 with a mere eight races. He rapidly built the sport, and was the driving force behind the construction of iconic superspeedways Daytona and Talladega.

France Sr.’s time running NASCAR coincided with what is considered the start of the modern era of NASCAR as the sport raced into a future where it would reach popularity that even its founder likely couldn’t imagine. He also pushed back on several attempts to unionize, and ruled the sport with a iron fist (Just look up the inaugural Talladega race in 1969). Near the end of his tenure, oversaw the arrival of Winston as the sport’s entitlement sponsor and stepped down at the age of 61, clearing the way for his son to take over. He went on to witness the sport’s rise under his son’s leadership, living until 1992.

Bill France Jr. — A different leader for the modern era

Legendary Bill France meets the members of the media

From 1972 to 2003, Bill France Jr. or ‘Little Billy’ was leading NASCAR into a new and exciting age of expansion. With the arrival of Winston the NASCAR schedule was reduced, becoming more organized as dirt tracks fell away, and there was more prestige with every win. France Jr. grew the sport far beyond its Southern roots, and even worked to organize exhibition races as far as Japan and Australia in the 1990s. He helped secure critical television deals to put live NASCAR in front of national audiences for the first time. Several massive companies began to invest in NASCAR as it rose in prominence.

NASCAR was rapidly becoming one of the most popular sport’s in America under his watch, second only to the NFL at one point. In 2000, he made Mike Helton the president of NASCAR while he battled cancer, but the role of CEO and chairman was ultimately passed onto the next generation of the France family in 2003. France Jr. died four years later.

Brian France — Trying to keep up with an ever-changing world

CEO and Chairman of NASCAR Brian France speaks during a press conference

The son of Bill France Jr. inherited a sport still trying to find its way two years after the tragic death of its biggest star, Dale Earnhardt. Winston, which had held the role of entitlement sponsor for three decades was on its way out the door, and NASCAR was about to change in a big way. The Nextel Cup Series brought with it a new Chase for the championship format, breaking away from the full-season points used for decades and still in use by most top motorsport divisions. The Car of Tomorrow — while strange to look at — was a huge step in safety for the sport.

At first, NASCAR remained strong with big stars and big viewership numbers, but through the Great Recession and into the 2010s, the sport began to lose its footing. In an attempt to modernize the sport and entice the casual fan, the diehards were feeling alienated. Flippantly adding an extra spot to the Chase after 2013’s SpinGate controversy didn’t help either. As the world entered the 2010s and social media exploded, a radical new playoff format, even more extreme than its predecessor (and one that didn’t necessarily reward the best driver and team ) was introduced. And as sport’s stars like Stewart, Earnhardt Jr., and Gordon retired, NASCAR struggled to turn the new faces into household names. It was having a bit of identity crisis, and Brian’s tumultuous tenure came to an abrupt end in the summer of 2018, when he was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

Jim France — An unexpected promotion

Jim France, NASCAR Chairman speaks to the media

Suddenly, Bill France Jr.’s brother was thrust into the position of interim CEO, and Jim was left to pick up the pieces after Brian’s abrupt exit. The founder of Grand-Am (predecessor to IMSA), he had to rebuild the sport and try and regain the trust of a fanbase that felt ignored. This also marked the rise of Ben Kennedy to a position of prominence, and he was as integral as his great-uncle in many changes. A stagnant schedule began to evolve quickly in the years that followed, with more road and street courses, daring new events, and the return of some beloved historic tracks like North Wilkesboro and Bowman Gray.

But there were questionable decisions as well, like the 550hp package, which artificially kept the field closer together. NASCAR navigated the COVID pandemic admirably, and there was excitement around the Next Generation car, arriving in 2022. Unfortunately, that car was not the panacea many hoped it would be. During this time, NASCAR also secured a historic $7.7 billion TV/streaming deal through 2031.

During Jim’s time at the top, frustration with the playoff format turned into full-on resentment, and NASCAR finally threw the format aside after 2025 in favor of a simpler Chase format. However, the real defining moment of Jim France’s era came from an unexpected place — Michael Jordan. When 23XI Racing joined with Front Row Motorsports and sued NASCAR, accusing the France family of monopolistic practices, things got ugly fast. It went to trial, but finally ended in a settlement after Jim himself took the stand. Just a few weeks later, he was in Victory Lane at the Daytona 500 shaking hands with MJ, and NASCAR appeared ready to move forward into a new, more positive era.

Steve O’Donnell (CEO) & Ben Kennedy (COO) – The future of NASCAR

Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Chief Executive Officer (L) and Ben Kennedy, NASCAR Chief Operating Officer

NASCAR entered 2026 with a different vibe, more open and less resistant to change. There have been several popular changes in recent months. On April 26, 2026, Jim France officially stepped down as CEO but will remain as Chairman and majority owner of NASCAR. For the first time, the Chief Executive Officer for NASCAR won’t be a member of the France family as Steve O’Donnell takes over the role. Ben Kennedy, great-grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., becomes its Chief Operating Officer.

Their vision for the future remains to be seen, but these are two individuals who we shouldn’t expect to be complacent with the status quo. There has already been talk about returning NASCAR to its roots, reconnecting to its core fanbase, listening more to the drivers, and all this while still looking for ways to expand the sport into new arenas.

You can hear more about their vision for the immediate future in the story below: