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 some 350 miles away in Watkins Glen.
Police said at the time he was pulled over 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 U.S. 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 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.
