Like the duck’s feet, Jim France once did much out of sight.
Depending on the day, he was either the ‘Motorcycle France’ or the ‘Sports Car France’ or simply the family member, we’ve always been told, whose working under the radar brought much insight and much-needed pragmatism to the boardroom.
By staying off the stage and not being associated – at least publicly – with things that to some were controversial or even crazy, Jim was also known as “France without enemies”.
Though he’s managed to maintain his status as a good neighbor, his semi-secret work came under the spotlight almost four years ago when, under difficult circumstances, he took on the role of chairman and CEO of NASCAR, the organization founded by his father. Bill Sr. and run by Big Bill and then Bill Jr. from 1948 to the early 2000s.
Shortly after Jim took office in August 2018, he promoted Steve Phelps to President of NASCAR, a move that allowed Jim to gather some oxygen for his road racing endeavors, particularly for IMSA, NASCAR’s sports car division.
(By the way, he also oversees American Flat Track, the nationally scheduled dirt track motorcycle series. In his youth he was a flat track racer for several years.)
Its sports car endeavors accelerated sharply with the merger in 2014 of two major series – France’s Grand-Am (think Rolex 24) and Don Panoz’s American Le Mans Series – and the renamed IMSA (International Motor Sports Association).
That ushered in a new era of sports car racing in America, but also a time of international diplomacy and trade talks of the four-wheeled, high-horsepower variety – the goal being a rulebook and packaging that would allow Europe’s and America’s best teams to compete in the events of the to compete on each other’s famous tracks.
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There was a lot of give and take on the part of the marquee manufacturers as well as the engineers from IMSA and their colleagues at the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest).
You’ve made it, at least on paper, and it’s no small breakthrough, given you know something about turf wars in motorsport and the need for a competitive advantage. The Rolex 24 2023 is the first.
And so, ahead of all this, Jim France will be in France next week to accept the Spirit of Le Mans award the day before the start of this historic 24-hour race on Saturday.
Officially, he was obviously amiable and appreciative.
“I am deeply humbled and honored to have been selected by my close friend (ACO President) Pierre Fillon and the ACO Board to receive the prestigious Spirit of Le Mans Trophy this year. Being added to the list of so many distinguished past recipients is something I and my family will forever cherish.”
Unofficially, he returned to the basics and pragmatism of it all last week during a long sit in the large “GlassCar” building on Speedway Boulevard.
“What we have going on with IMSA and Le Mans and the ACO is that we are trying to coordinate our rules. It was a big project,” he said.
But they’re done here, too, aren’t they? Spring . . .
“Yes, but the important thing is whether the cars can compete with each other,” he asked rhetorically. “The engineers, once they’ve all done their performance balancing, try to match two cars with different rule packages. . . the proof will be in the pudding. When the green flag falls, the BS stops, as they say.”
Porsche (with Roger Penske) and Cadillac (with Chip Ganassi) are preparing to field new prototypes and teams in next year’s IMSA as well as Europe’s World Endurance Championship, a six-race series led by Le Mans. If you want to get out of the gate with momentum, it never hurts to hitch your cart to Roger and/or Chip.
“From a fan perspective, we have more manufacturer and factory-backed racing teams and well-funded private teams competing together,” said France. “It now gives us the opportunity to let Porsche compete again for the overall wins against Cadillac, against Acura, against BMW and against Lamborghini. . . everything for the overall victory. The technology and economic model was feasible for them.”
The marketing bait for, say, Porsche and Cadillac is obvious. They sell cars in Europe and North America.
It also seems obvious to the sports car promoters of both continents. If Europe is open to Penske, Ganassi and others, those teams are likely to bring American attention. And vice versa for the top European teams when they serve at Rolex 24, Watkins Glen, Sebring etc.
A little reminder seems in order here. Sports cars on street courses have been on NASCAR’s radar since Big Bill cranked up the tractors to begin building his dream speedway in the late ’50s. He sponsored two races at New Smyrna Airport in 1957-58 and soon added an infield road course to Daytona International Speedway after it opened in 1959.
The coming-out party came in 1962 with the Daytona Continental, a three-hour race won by hot-rod god Dan Gurney, and within four years it had become the season-opening 24-hour marathon that we know today as the Rolex 24.
In the early days, international rules were similar enough for some cross-pollination.
“Then their rules started to differ from our rules,” France said. “Their approach recently was almost a Formula 1 level of sports car racing – the price of it. They pretty much came back. That gave us the opportunity to bring our formula and their formula to the track together.”
Jim France first traveled to Le Mans as a teenager, accompanying his father when they saw stock car hero Fireball Roberts (quite good, btw) compete in a Ferrari GTO. Fireball was an instant French favourite, and who knows, maybe that was the point where the seed was firmly planted in Jim France’s head.
Fourteen years later, NASCAR’s Junie Donlavey and Hershel McGriff went to Le Mans, but with their huge production cars. They couldn’t compete with the purpose-built road racing machines, but on the straights they were big and loud and fast, and the curbside crowd loved it. Veteran racer Dick Brooks was one of the drivers who came over.
“I talked to Dick quite a bit when he came back,” France said. “He said he had a fantastic time.”
Another seed? Maybe, but this one has taken more than 40 years to create another opportunity that comes next year when Hendrick Motorsports will bring one of NASCAR’s next-generation cars to Le Mans to compete in its own one-car category – the entry “Garage 56”. it says.
“What got me started was when we started building our new car,” France said of the next gen that debuted this season. “Le Mans and Pierre Fillon came up with this Garage 56, more of a demonstration thing. I approached Pierre when we started the new car project.
“Maybe we would have an opportunity to reconsider what my father had done and bring the new car there.”
What will come out of all this when the blending and smudging comes along next year? Who knows, maybe nothing, maybe a lot. The world is shrinking every day, you know.
Jim France’s first racing duties when the speedway opened in 1959 were cutting tickets and working in the parking lot. At 77, one would think the roles of Chairman and CEO at NASCAR would be a real turning point.
But it seems his simultaneous role as IMSA chairman is what keeps the juices flowing and the jet fueled. Next station: Loire Valley.
— Reach Ken Willis at [email protected]
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