CHARLOTTE, NC – According to multiple reports, NASCAR majority owner Jim France is stepping down as chief executive and will be replaced by chairman Steve O’Donnell.
France will remain NASCAR’s chairman, and his majority ownership stake will not change.
O’Donnell will be the first person outside the France family to hold the position of CEO of NASCAR. Bill France Sr. founded the United States’ most popular racing series in 1948 and has always had a family member in the top role ahead of changes to be announced Saturday at Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway.
Ben Kennedy, nephew of Jim France, will be promoted to chief operating officer.
Jim France was the president and CEO of NASCAR since the 2019 resignation of his nephew Brian France.
Jim France took a tough stance in negotiations for a 2025 revenue-sharing agreement, sparking an antitrust lawsuit by Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. The two sides reached an agreement in December that granted NASCAR teams the permanent charters they sought.
France was soft-spoken, required repeated repetition of many questions and struggled to recall many topics during his first day of testimony in the antitrust trial before a strong second day.
Steve Phelps resigned as NASCAR commissioner earlier this year after a lawsuit revealed inflammatory texts he sent during contentious revenue-sharing negotiations.
