Bill France, Jr.
William Clifton France is remembered —and revered —as the man who followed his visionary father at NASCAR’s helm.
- Inducted: 2010
- Position:Executive
Introducing NASCAR to the Next Generation
In the process becoming a visionary himself, Bill France Jr. guided NASCAR to unprecedented levels of popularity.
France became NASCAR’s president in January 1972, replacing his father and becoming only the second president of the world’s largest auto racing sanctioning body. His emergence coincided with the sport’s emergence, and its eventual ascent to become America’s No. 1 form of motorsports and the nation’s second-most popular sport overall.
France, often referred to as “Bill Jr.,” remained president until November 2000. At that time, France announced the formation of a NASCAR Board of Directors on which he served as chairman and CEO until October 2003 when he was replaced by his son, Brian Z. France. After that, he continued to serve the sport for the remainder of his life as NASCAR Vice Chairman.
