This is the single greatest honor in the motor vehicle industry, intended to honor a career and/or lifetime achievement. To become a "Hall of Famer" the nominee must be either retired or deceased. Recipients must have significantly impacted the development of the automobile or the motor vehicle industry. Typically, four to eight individuals are inducted each year.
Bill France, Jr. has known no other vocation than auto racing. The eldest son of NASCAR founder Bill France, Bill Junior literally grew up at the track, as a driver, as a worker and as a promoter.
France was born in Washington, D.C. in 1933, but the family moved to Daytona Beach just a year or so later where his father, “Big Bill” France, opened a gas and service station.
In the 1940s in the Southeast United States, particularly in Florida, Alabama and up through the Carolinas, there was a phenomenon called stock car racing – and a lot of the racing was done on back roads and backwoods to avoid the attention of the police.
The elder France, could sense this groundswell of racing modified stock cars, but the sport lacked race tracks, race promoters, respect and, most importantly, rules.
In 1947, France’s father called a meeting of owners, drivers and mechanics at Daytona’s famed Streamline Hotel and outlined his vision for organizing the sport, including uniform rules, insurance coverage and guaranteed purses. That meeting was the beginning of the National Association for Stock Car Automobile Racing, or NASCAR.
Young Bill was just 14, and in the early days, he helped his father in virtually every aspect of the business. He directed traffic, parked cars, and worked the concession stands. As he got older, he would flag races, work in the pits, even keep score and promote races. He came to know the business of racing inside and out.
The elder France remained at the helm of NASCAR until 1972, when he passed the reigns to his son, Bill, Jr.
At the time, stock car racing was primarily a regional sport, and, except for major races like the Daytona 500, televised races were rare. Bill France, Jr. began negotiating with the television networks, which culminated in 1978 with a deal with CBS. The popularity of NASCAR racing soon had all of the major networks eager to buy broadcast rights.
Even the cars themselves became rolling billboards, with sponsors representing an endless array of products and services clamoring to tap into NASCAR fever.
On the track, however, safety was always Bill France’s priority, and under his guidance, numerous safety innovations have been introduced. To that end, France recently constructed a $20 million R&D center in Concord, North Carolina.
NASCAR is now a multi-billion dollar industry, outgrowing every other professional sport in America and attracting over 7 million passionate race fans per year with tens of millions more watching on television.
NASCAR stock car racing has evolved from its Southern beginnings to become the most popular motor sport in America, trailing only the National Football League in attendance and television viewership, the result, in large part to the vision and guidance of Bill France, Jr.
Throughout his career, Bill France always put family first and NASCAR truly is a France family endeavor. France inherited NASCAR from his father and took it to new heights. In 2003, France’s son Brian succeeded him as NASCAR Chairman and CEO, but the mark made by Bill France, Jr. in auto racing is indelible.
