International Speedway Corporation (“ISC”) Chairman James (Jim) France, has been selected as the 2018 recipient of NASCAR’s Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR, it was announced today.
The announcement was made at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C., following a vote by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel. France was chosen from a list of five nominees including Janet Guthrie, the first female to compete in a NASCAR premier series superspeedway race; Alvin Hawkins, NASCAR’s first flagman who also established NASCAR racing at Bowman Gray Stadium with Bill France Sr.; Ralph Seagraves, who formed groundbreaking Winston-NASCAR partnership as executive with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; and, Ken Squier, legendary radio and television broadcaster.
“Jim deserves this honor as the epitome of what the Landmark Award represents,” stated ISC CEO Lesa France Kennedy. “His unassuming yet steady, decisive leadership has been a significant contributor to the growth of the sport through the years. He has left a lasting mark on NASCAR’s legacy. For someone who never seeks the spotlight, I am so pleased to see it shined on him today.”
France grew up in the early years of stock car racing, living and learning every detail of the sport from his own experiences as well as those provided by his parents Bill France, Sr. and Annie B. France, along with brother Bill France Jr. Joining ISC in 1959, France assumed a role in the family business from a young age working in all phases of operations including parking, ticketing, and gate operations.
France was elected to ISC’s Board of Directors in 1970 and has served as the Company’s Secretary, Assistant Treasurer, Vice President, and Executive Vice President before being named ISC’s President and Chief Operating Officer in 1987. France served as President until 2003, followed by Vice Chairman and CEO from 2003 to 2007, and Chairman and CEO from 2007 to 2009. France is currently ISC’s Chairman of the Board and has been a member of NASCAR’s Board of Directors since 2000.
An avid motorsports fan, his passion for sports car racing has been well documented. He founded the GRAND-AM Road Racing Association, which began in 2000. GRAND-AM was acquired by NASCAR in 2008, and in 2012, France spearheaded the historic merger between GRAND-AM and the American Le Mans Series, resulting in the creation of the new International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) of which he is presently Chairman.
Since 2014, IMSA has operated and sanctioned its flagship IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, featuring prestigious North American endurance races such as the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida. In total, IMSA now sanctions seven different road racing series competing in the U.S. and Canada and more than 80 races each year.
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