NASCAR Senior VP & COO Mike Helton will assume the role
of President, replacing Bill France Jr., who has held the
position since January '72. France will now serve as Chair
of a newly formed five-member BOD to oversee NASCAR's new
management structure. Meanwhile, Senior VP Brian France
also assumed the title of Exec VP, joining Exec VP Jim
France will remain in his role. Helton, Bill, Brian and Jim
France and ISC Exec VP Lesa France-Kennedy will serve on
NASCAR's BOD. Additionally, Senior VP George Pyne is
relocating to Daytona Beach, FL, and will report to Helton
and run business affairs (NASCAR). Meanwhile, Helton
"dismissed rumors that he would be reassigning" Winston Cup
Series Dir Gary Nelson (Holly Cain, CBS SportsLine, 11/28).
STILL IN CONTROL: In Charlotte, David Poole writes that
Helton's promotion "does not mean the France family is
ceding control," as the new BOD will "be responsible for
developing policy and vision for the sport." Bill France,
on the changes: "Mike knows what Jim's last name is, so he's
certainly not going to tell him to get out of the trailer"
(CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 11/29). Helton: "I don't have any
great agenda to change anything because it works pretty well
the way it is." Bill France: "I think it's a progression of
the so-called one-man czar to a more corporate structure.
We're going to be careful it doesn't bog us down, but I
think it's something that needs to happen. We're moving in
that direction" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 11/29). Helton:
"I think this sport is on a good track and I just don't want
to screw up anything" (AP, 11/29). In Baltimore, Sandra
McKee writes that in Helton, France "chose a man who already
had the respect of the competitors in the Winston Cup
garage." But SMI President Humpy Wheeler said, "Mr. France
is still going to be there. He still has the big gun"
(Baltimore SUN, 11/29). SMI Chair Bruton Smith, on Helton,
"If he does something wrong, will the board fire him? ...
Remember, Nascar is Bill and Jim France's alter ego" (N.Y.
TIMES, 11/29). Jim France, on the management changes: "It's
not a one-man band, anymore" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 11/29).
COSMETIC CHANGE: In Orlando, Ed Hinton writes that
replacing France with Helton "is largely cosmetic." Sources
said that the move "was aimed at making race teams, sponsors
and manufacturers feel that there is one person with final
authority -- Helton -- to settle disputes and arbitrate
rules changes," but Hinton writes that NASCAR "participants
are left with no clearer 'go-to guy' than they've had for
the past several years." Hinton adds that Jim France is
"expected to have a forceful, if low-profile, role" (ORLANDO
SENTINEL, 11/29). In Atlanta, Michael Carvell: "All the
title-switching means little, as the France family retains
control of NASCAR" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 11/29). In Dallas,
Tony Fabrizio: "The France family will continue to have the
final say on all major issues" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 11/29).
In St. Petersburg, Kevin Kelly: "The family business outgrew
the family" (ST. PETE TIMES, 11/29). ESPN's Kenny Mayne:
"No recounts necessary here ... as NASCAR's more of a
dictatorship than a democracy" (ESPN, 11/28).
BILL FRANCE'S HEALTH: Bill France Jr. told the media
yesterday that his health "is improving after a hard-fought,
yearlong battle with cancer." France: "I'm in remission.
By and large we got that under control. ... I'm coming back
around. I'm here (at the office) almost every day for a few
hours every day" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 11/29).
