Bill France Jr. ran NASCAR from 1972 to 2000 and transformed it from a Southern regional series into a national phenomenon. He negotiated the first live flag-to-flag television contracts, landed the Winston sponsorship, and oversaw the sport's explosive growth into America's fastest-growing spectator sport.
France battled cancer in his later years and died in 2007 at 74. He handed the sport to the third generation having made it bigger than his father ever dreamed – and set the stage for everything that followed.
At a Glance
- Born: April 4, 1933, Washington, D.C.
- Died: June 4, 2007, Daytona Beach, Florida
- Age: 74
- Cause of death: Cancer
Final Resting Place
Volusia Memorial Park, Ormond Beach, Florida.
From the Book
This profile is adapted from Legends at Rest: NASCAR Legends by Howard Wear.
Portrait: from Howard Wear’s collection.