Former chairman Bill France Jr. dies

Bill France Jr., who transformed NASCAR from a small Southern sport into a billion-dollar conglomerate during his 31 years as chairman, died Monday. He was 74.

He died at his Daytona Beach, Fla., home, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said. France had been in poor health for much of the last decade – he was diagnosed with cancer in 1999. Although he was in remission, the extensive treatments took a toll. He never regained his full strength, often had difficulty breathing and had taken to using a motorized scooter to get around.

France was hospitalized at least twice this year but spent his final days resting at home. Officials at Dover International Speedway, where the Nextel Cup series was racing Monday afternoon, lowered the flag to half-staff in his memory.

His 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 during the Daytona 500 build-up.

Even there, especially there, France Jr., who ruled NASCAR with an iron fist, called the shots.

His toasters that evening 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.

A shrewd businessman who was fiercely protective of his family-owned company, France always acted in NASCAR’s best interests. His decisions often riled car owners, drivers, sponsors and fans, but France never backed down. He was in charge – like it or not – and he quickly reminded dissenters.

“Part of leadership is having the guts to make a decision and then having the guts to stand by it and making it work,” said four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon. “That’s what he did on a lot of occasions. He did it in a way that let you know who the boss was and also did it in a way that you respected him. And I’ve said it all along, I think that is the cornerstone in our sport.”

France became chairman in 1972 when he replaced his father, NASCAR founder William Henry Getty France, who retired 25 years after forming the National Association for Stock Car Racing.

He had prepped for the job by doing a little bit of everything during his rise through the grass roots ranks of racing.

Bill France Sr. put Bill Jr. in charge of crowd control at one of the early 1950s beach races at Daytona Beach. It was a difficult situation – there seemed to be no way to fence in the beach area and keep people from walking in without buying tickets. But young France had learned some lessons from his dad about ingenuity:

“We put up signs in the scrub areas along the road that said ‘Beware of snakes’ and funneled people through our gates. It worked out pretty good,” France said.

He also was a flagman, sold concessions, parked cars, scored races, promoted events and even helped in the construction of Daytona International Speedway.

France worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week as he drove a compactor, bulldozer and grader in the 13 months it took to build the track. He once even tried to use a mule to pull trees out of the swamps, because the motorized equipment kept getting stuck.

When he finally took over NASCAR, he inherited a sport that was rich in Southern tradition but mostly unknown everywhere else in the United States.

“Other than the founding of NASCAR itself, Bill Jr.’s appointment to leadership is probably the most significant event in the history of the sanctioning body,” the International Motorsports Hall of Fame said about the transition.

“His role in the impact of the sport has been huge,” Gordon said. “His personality came at a time when it was what our sport needed. I think he did an incredible job of basing his opinion on what he believed the facts to be and then having the courage to make that decision and see it through.

“He ain’t a waffler. … He’s just going to go do it.”

Over the span of three remarkable decades, France oversaw the expansion of the sport, parlaying the loyal fan base of the Deep South into sold-out tracks in New England, California, Texas and the Midwest.

He also moved the season-ending awards banquet to New York City in an effort to court the Madison Ave. money.

It all translated into more money from sponsors, bigger paydays for drivers and robust TV audiences.