Bill France Jr. Dies at Age 74
Bill France Jr. died today at the age of 74 from cancer, and although it was known that he had cancer, he never officially said which type that he had. He lived and died with his life immersed in Nascar, helping his father build Daytona International Speedway, which meant operating the machinery himself if need be, “I ran a motor grader some and a bulldozer, but mostly I was on a compactor,” France Jr. said. “I did a little of this, that and the other. I even had a mule out there one time pulling trees out of the swamp.
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. Source: Bill France Jr. dies at 74
Rest in Peace Mr. France.
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Motorsports world remembers Bill France Jr. with quotes from drivers, crew chiefs, Nascar officials and more.
