Hall of Fame spotlight: Bill France Jr.

Bill France Jr. (photo from NASCAR Media)

His father, Bill France Sr., may have started the sport, but it was William Clifton France, better known as Bill France Jr., who grew NASCAR into the sport it is today.

It is the sport's growth during France Jr.'s stint at NASCAR's helm that he is among the first five inductees in NASCAR's Hall of Fame.

"Our entire family is honored to have bill chosen for the Hall of Fame's charter class," his widow Betty Jane France said. "And I know that if he was still with us, he would also feel honored by this recognition."

France Jr. spent his early years working closely with his father, carrying out duties like selling tickets and concessions, parking cars, helping build racetracks, and race promoting. According to some stories, France Jr. worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week for 13-straight months driving a bulldozer during the construction of Daytona International Speedway in the late-1950s.

"Without the actions and leadership of Bill France and Bill France Jr., there would be no NASCAR, no Daytona and no Talladega," Talladega Superspeedway Presdient Rick Humphrey said. "I can't imagine what the state of auto racing would be like were it not for them."

It was those kinds of early jobs that helped prepare him to take over for his father as NASCAR president in 1972.

Prior to becoming NASCAR president, he served as the sport's vice president under his father for six years.

France Jr.'s vision led NASCAR to become the world's largest auto racing sanctioning body, America's number one form of motorsports, and the second-most popular sport in America overall.

France Jr.'s turn at the helm saw title sponsors and other sponsorship opportunities present themselves into the sport -- RJ Reynolds (through the Winston brand), Anheuser-Busch (through its Busch brand), and Craftsman, dramatically increasing the points fund for teams and drivers. Television contract money also starting pouring into the sport during France Jr.'s tenure, after the sport received its first live flag-to-flag national television coverage with the 1979 Daytona 500.

France Jr. held the position of NASCAR president until Nov. 2000, soon after being diagnosed with lung cancer. He turned the position over the the first non-France family member to hold the position, Mike Helton. He also then announced the formation of a NASCAR Board of Directors. He served as the chairman and CEO until Oct. 2003, when he was replaced in that position by his son, Brian France. France Jr. then spent the remainder of his life serving as the sport's vice chairman.

France Jr. died June 4, 2007, at the age of 74.