Under France Sr., NASCAR thrived. He had regular race tracks constructed in Daytona and Talladega, and he obtained high-end sponsorships, such as R.J. Reynolds, who rebranded the Grand National to the Winston Cup. France Sr. saw the sport grow from dirt tracks to the modern era, and without his vision, auto racing in the United States would not be as popular as it is today.
France Sr.’s son Bill would take over NASCAR in the 1980s.
We are proud to nominate Bill France Sr. for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.