Steve O'Donnell and Ben Kennedy represent new era of NASCAR leadership

The 57-year-old is a NASCAR lifer who first started working with the Sanctioning Body in the 1990s. He sounded motivated, not in a scripted way, but spoken like someone who felt like this was something he was born to do.

There was conviction.

“We’re going to get to work,” O’Donnell said. “We’ve already been at work. The big thing, twofold, we’re going to make some moves and have some fun. I think we lost that over the last couple of years.

“It is an unbelievable privilege to be in this position. My wife reminded me today that people would kill to be doing what you’re doing. That’s not lost on me.

“It’s a privilege to do it, but it’s also fun, what we get to do each and every day. The (ARCA) race you just saw was unbelievable, the enthusiasm from the drivers. We got to showcase that, be proud of that, proud of who we are. I think you’ll see more of that.”

For Kennedy, 34, this is just another step up the ladder for what everyone believes is a steady ascension towards taking over from O’Donnell when the time comes and then his uncle as Chairman sometime after that.

He represents the bridge between NASCAR’s past and its future -- with his experience as a driver and millennial both having value for the intended growth of the series. In recent years, Kennedy has worked on scheduling and competition and will focus more on the latter in his new position.

Julie Giese, most recently the president of Phoenix Raceway and the Chicago Street Course, is now the head of the spear on scheduling matters.

“She’s done a tremendous job already helping us build out the 2027 schedule,” Kennedy said. “We’re actually leaving after this to sit down and talk with a few drivers about it.

We have a great team on the event and venues team, whether it’s the racetracks, folks are thinking about hospitality, food and beverage at our tracks. We have six or seven verticals that live within our team today. Then we get to add in John Probst and the competition folks together.”

Kennedy previously raced Super Late Models, ARCA and in the Truck Series, winning a race in the latter at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2016. His time behind the wheel has always made him a valuable intermediary between the garages and glass office.

“Yeah, it’s helpful,” Kennedy said. “I didn’t realize when I was a driver, I didn’t think to realize how much it would help me coming to the business side of the sport.

“Being a driver, going to the race shop every Tuesday and Wednesday, spending time with the team on the weekend, then being a team owner as well. We still have a Late Model team out at Daytona.

“I think it’s also created a level of empathy in the garage area. More important than anything is the relationships I built being a driver and being a team owner. I think it’s really neat.

O'Donnell, in his words 'bragged a bit' on Kennedy in response to this, recognizing how valuable he is in the garage. He shared a story about Kennedy's first year, and first week, working as an executive in the Truck Series.

"Within three days we had a report from 36 team owners," Kennedy said. "He had met with every single team owner, had ideas where we could go.

"In addition to the experience, I think he puts in the work. That’s respected by every one of our people at NASCAR. I think you see that in the garage, too, which is welcomed. It’s awesome."

But again, O’Donnell wanted to emphasize that NASCAR is listening now in a way that it just wasn’t for a decade stretch in recent years.  He conceded that fans lost their passion for NASCAR and that he wants to get some of that back.

That started with the return of the Chase for the Championship as their playoff format.

“I think there are a lot of other ideas that are out there that the fans go as what they see the drivers do, adding horsepower, doing some things this year that we’re going to continue to make those moves, hopefully in the right direction, that our fans embrace,” O’Donnell said. “Hopefully see that throughout this year.

“With that, our fans are the best salespeople in the sports world, right? They love NASCAR. If we can get anyone here to the infield of Talladega, they’re going to be coming back. That’s the goal, is showcase to everyone what we love about this sport.”

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