Jim France stepping down as NASCAR CEO, paving way for first non-France family member to lead the sport

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 15: NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France attends his Chairman’s Breakfast prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 15, 2026 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

(Sean Gardner via Getty Images)

NASCAR CEO Jim France is stepping down. In his place will step longtime NASCAR executive Steve O’Donnell, who will become the first non-France family member to lead the sport.

France, 81, has been in charge of NASCAR since he took over as the sanctioning body’s interim CEO in 2018 following the arrest of his nephew Brian France. Before running NASCAR for nearly the past eight years, Jim France was a president of ISC, the former publicly-owned subsidiary of NASCAR that owned tracks across the country and was also a member of NASCAR’s board of directors.

Jim France will reportedly remain as chairman of the board.

O’Donnell, 58, has been with NASCAR since 1996 when he joined the marketing department. He has risen the ranks from leading racing operations to the COO to president and now its Chief Operating Officer.

The France family has led NASCAR since Jim’s father, Bill France Sr., founded the stock car racing series in a Daytona Beach hotel in the 1940s. After Bill France Sr. stepped down, his son Bill Jr. took over in 1972 as NASCAR emerged from a regional sport to a national one in his reign.

Especially in NASCAR’s earlier days, the France family could rule with an iron fist. But its power over NASCAR has been significantly challenged over the past year. After the 23XI Racing team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Front Row Motorsports sued NASCAR over its franchising agreement, the sanctioning body settled with the teams after the antitrust trial had begun.

The settlement was an indisputable win for 23XI and Front Row. The two teams had refused to sign a renewal of NASCAR’s charter agreement, alleging that the new terms transferred too much power to a monopolistic NASCAR.

The teams wanted permanent charters; NASCAR had threatened that the charter system could be blown up if teams didn’t sign. The settlement granted teams those permanent charters while also giving 23XI and Front Row its charters back.

What is next for NASCAR?

Brian France took over for his father, Bill Jr., in 20003, and was in charge of NASCAR for nearly 20 years before his arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence in August of 2018. By putting Jim in charge, the Frances kept the leadership of the company in the family once again.