Tag Archives: Brian France

Brian France Notes Deep Pool of Talent in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

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RICHMOND, VA – APRIL 30: NASCAR Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Brian France speaks with the media during a press conference before the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway on April 30, 2017 in Richmond, Virginia.
Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France took questions from reporters before Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway, and naturally enough, the discussion centered around Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s announcement on Tuesday that he will retire from Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing at the end of the season. Continue reading →

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wanted to Step Away on his Own Terms, Announces 2017 will be Final Season

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. answers questions from the media during a press conference to announce his retirement from NASCAR after the 2017 season at the Hendrick Motorsports Team Center on April 25, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo – Mike Comer/Getty Images

More than anything, Dale Earnhardt Jr. wanted to be the master of his own destiny.

In announcing his retirement from Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing on Tuesday at the Hendrick Motorsports campus in Charlotte, North Carolina, Earnhardt described his primary motivation during months of physically and emotionally exhausting rehabilitation from a concussion that sidelined him from the final 18 races of the 2016 season. Continue reading →

Evolve, Adapt, and Overcome or Become Obsolete

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Bill France Sr Photo – Getty Images

With the recent announcement of the new format for the Monster Energy All-Star Race to add a tire option, spirited discussions began immediately. After eight races with the new Stage racing at every type of track except a road course, most people have settled on their opinion of its entertainment value and impact on the sport. Some of the calls on the talk shows seem negative, but look at what changes the sanctioning body has made to improve the beloved sport of stock car racing.

From the beginning, NASCAR founder William Henry Getty France, known as ‘Big Bill’ ruled his creation with a ‘Iron Fist,’ crushing two different attempts by the drivers to form a union. The first was in 1961 when Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa and star driver Curtis Turner attempted to form the Federation of Professional Athletes prominently featuring NASCAR drivers.  France prohibited any union member from participating in any NASCAR events with authority: Continue reading →

NASCAR Implements Stage-Based Race Format, Playoff-Point Incentives

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Photo – Getty Images

NASCAR, in collaboration with its industry stakeholders, announced today competition format enhancements that will be implemented in all three of its national series – the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

The new race format is designed to emphasize aggressive racing and strategy, with the goal of delivering more dramatic moments over the course of a race and season.

“Simply put, this will make our great racing even better,” said Brian France, NASCAR chairman and CEO. “I’m proud of the unprecedented collaboration from our industry stakeholders, each of whom had a common goal – strengthening the sport for our fans. This is an enhancement fully rooted in teamwork, and the result will be an even better product every single week.”

Under the new format, races will consist of three stages, with championship implications in each stage. The top-ten finishers in each stage will be awarded additional championship points. The winner of the first two stages of each race will receive one playoff point, and the race winner will receive five playoff points. Each playoff point will be added to a driver’s reset total following the 26th race, if that competitor makes the playoffs.

All playoff points will carry through to the end of the third round of the postseason (Round of 8), with the Championship 4 racing straight-up at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the title.

Championship points following the first two stages of each race will be awarded on a descending scale, with the stage winner receiving ten points, second earning nine points, and so on. The race winner following the final stage will receive 40 points, second-place will earn 35, third-place 34, fourth-place 33, and so on.

NASCAR also unveiled a playoff bonus structure that honors the regular season points leader as the regular season champion and awards 15 playoff points to the driver’s playoff reset of 2,000.

In addition, the top-ten drivers in regular-season points also will receive playoff points with second place earning ten points, third place getting eight points, fourth place obtaining seven points, and so on.

“These are enhancements that the NASCAR fan has long sought, and the entire industry has worked hard to develop a better racing format for our fans,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “This format puts a premium on every victory and every in-race position over the course of the season. Each point can eventually result in winning or losing a championship.”

NASCAR Enhances On-Track Product with New Stage-Based Race Format Playoff Points, Regular Season Champion Incentives Highlight Updates

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Photo – Getty Images

NASCAR, in collaboration with industry stakeholders, announced today an enhanced competition format that will be implemented in all three of its national series – the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR XFINITY Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Increasing the sense of urgency and emphasizing aggressive racing and strategy, the race format will deliver more dramatic moments over the course of an entire race and season, with playoff point incentives on the line throughout. Continue reading →