If Bill France Sr. founded NASCAR and nurtured the organization during its infancy, his son, Bill France Jr., was a catalyst for the sport's explosive growth in the so-called "modern era."
France took the reins of the sanctioning body in 1972 on the retirement of his father.
"I think what gets overlooked sometimes are two key components that we're used to today, that Bill Jr. saw and inspired," said Mike Helton, who succeeded France as NASCAR president in 2000. "That's TV coverage and sponsorships.
"On the TV coverage piece, I think Bill recognized that was the next level for us in the mid-'70s to grow in exposure and coverage. It was critical. It timed in fairly nicely with the advent of cable. Bill was convinced that we were good content for the cable channels, and it turned out to be that way, and it grew from there.
"I think Bill was very much a leader in the sponsorship. When Bill Sr. turned the reins over to Bill Jr., it was a matter of growing the sport. The other piece was the series sponsorship that would help fund the teams and the events and the promoters that led to car sponsorships that continued to help elevate the sport. The quality of racing got better with the revenue that came from all those elements."
It was under France 's leadership that NASCAR launched promotional programs that captured the imagination of a national audience. Foremost among them, perhaps, was the Winston Million, which offered a $1 million prize to a driver who could win three of four of the sport's designated marquee races.
On Sunday, Bill France Jr., who died in 2007, will take his right place beside his father in NASCAR's Hall of Fame as member of the inaugural class.
The Bill France Jr. file
* Led NASCAR from 1972 to 2000
* Presided over NASCAR's explosive growth
* Took NASCAR national and international
By Ried Spencer Sportibgnews
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