NASCAR Chairman Bill France Jr. Dies at 74

The NASCAR family is mourning a significant loss with the passing of Bill France Jr., son of the sport's founder Bill France Sr.:

His father may have been the architect of NASCAR, but throughout his life, Bill France Jr. proved to be the ultimate general manager.

His plaque at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame may put it best: "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."

France Jr.'s ability to transform his father's original vision into something greater than the sum of its parts was his greatest accomplishment. Under his three decades of leadership, NASCAR evolved from a regional sport to one with a world-wide fan base. He was a trailblazer in the field of corporate sponsorships and the guiding force behind a television contract worth billions of dollars.

"In life you've got rules you have to live by, and you have to have people to enforce those rules," France Jr. once said. "If you don't have rules, you have chaos. Basically we are the government in the little country of motorsports.

"Our rules are the statutes and the laws of this little country. To gain and keep the confidence of everyone involved with NASCAR, those participating need to know, as evidenced by our behavior, that the rules are applicable to everyone and are enforced fairly."

France Jr. suffered a mild heart attack in 1997 while in Japan for a NASCAR exhibition race, and was diagnosed with cancer in 1999. He has never revealed what type of cancer he had.

Although his cancer was in remission, he handed off day-to-day duties of running NASCAR to his son, Brian, in late 2003.

In March, France Jr. was admitted to Halifax Medical Center under the care of his personal physicians but was released to his doctor's care.

William C. France, chairman of the board of directors for International Speedway Corporation, died Monday at home. He celebrated his 74th birthday in April.

The sanctioning body is still in control of the France family, with Brian now in charge, and the sport continues to grow, in no small part due to the contribution of Bill France Jr.