Chairman and CEO
NASCAR
Brian Zachary France, actively involved in NASCAR for more than two decades, is a member of the NASCAR-founding France family and assumed the roles of NASCAR Chairman and CEO in October 2003. He is the grandson of NASCAR’s founder, the late William H.G. (“Big Bill”) France, and the son of the former President and Chairman/CEO of NASCAR, the late William C. (“Bill Jr.”) France.
France has an extensive background in NASCAR, ranging from his experience as a race track manager to helping develop and manage NASCAR weekly short track and touring competitive levels.
As a track manager, he was involved in writing and enforcing rules, developing race procedures and all other aspects of competition. He successfully oversaw the transformation of Tucson Raceway Park from a dirt track into one of the premier paved short tracks in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
France has been heavily involved with many of NASCAR’s recent innovations. France worked closely with NASCAR’s competition department in the development of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, which debuted in 1995. He was a key proponent of the NASCAR Research and Development Center, a facility opened in 2003 and dedicated to improving the safety and operational efficiency of the sport.
France has been at the forefront of NASCAR’s dramatic sponsorship growth, including the ground-breaking announcement of Nextel Communications as the new sponsor of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series – now known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – beginning in 2004. He has also led a host of marketing initiatives, including internalizing the sanctioning body’s licensing efforts and developing NASCAR’s consolidated television plans that have culminated with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events being broadcast on ABC, ESPN, FOX Sports, FX, NBC Sports and TNT.
France also spearheaded the opening of NASCAR offices in Los Angeles, New York and Charlotte to address the sanctioning body’s growing business needs and partner base.
In 1999, The Sports Business Daily named France its Sports Industrialist of the Year and Sales and Marketing Executives International (SMEI) named him the SMEI Marketing Statesman of the Year. Previous awards include Advertising Age honoring France as one of the publication’s top 100 marketers of the year and Promo Magazine naming him as one of that publication’s top promoters of the year. In 2006, France was honored by Time Magazine in the annual “Time 100: The People Who Shape Our World” issue. In 2007, he was named to the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame.
France serves on many boards and is the founder and former Chairman of NASCAR’s Diversity Council, an organization comprised of motorsports executives focused on encouraging greater diversity within the industry.
France resides in Daytona Beach, Fla.
