Talladega, Ala. — NASCAR majority owner Jim France is stepping down as chief executive and will be replaced by president Steve O’Donnell.
France will remain as NASCAR’s chairman and his majority ownership stake will not change.
O’Donnell will be the first person outside the France family to hold the CEO title of NASCAR. Bill France Sr. founded the United States’ most popular racing series in 1948 and always had a family member in the top role prior.
The change was announced at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on Saturday.
In his introductory remarks, O’Donnell said he wants to bring some fun back to NASCAR, which he calls a “badass American sport.”
O’Donnell vowed to “make some moves” that will return the storied racing series to its roots.
“We lost that in recent years,” O’Donnell said.
Bill France Sr. founded the racing series in 1948 and always had a family member in the top role. Ben Kennedy, France’s great-nephew and the son of NASCAR executive Lesa Kennedy France, was promoted to chief operating officer.
“They’re going to take this thing even further,” Jim France said.
Jim France had been chairman and CEO of NASCAR since the 2019 resignation of his nephew, Brian.
It marks the second promotion in nearly a year for O’Donnell, who has spent 30-plus years guiding NASCAR’s marketing and later competition departments. He was named president in March 2025.
Ben Kennedy, France’s great-nephew, was promoted to chief operating officer.
France took a hardline stance in negotiations for the 2025 revenue-sharing agreement, triggering an anti-trust lawsuit by Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. The sides reached a settlement in December that granted NASCAR teams the permanent charters they had sought.
France was soft spoken, needed several questions repeated and struggled to remember several topics during his first day of testimony in the anti-trust trial before a stronger second day.
NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps resigned earlier this year after inflammatory texts he sent during contentious revenue-sharing negotiations were revealed during the trial.
O’Donnell escaped unscathed and now gets tasked with NASCAR’s next phase. He vowed to unite the industry, listen to every stakeholder — including fans — and address matters with urgency.
“It’s what we have to do each and every day,” O’Donnell said. “We’ve got to showcase that.”
A good example of what O’Donnell may envision took place the following day, when driver Carson Hocevar won the Cup Series race at Talladega.
Hocevar never stops thinking about how he can connect with NASCAR fans, whether through zany social media posts or cheering beside them in the grandstands.
He devised a unique way to greet NASCAR Nation after the first Cup Series win of his career.
During a daring victory lap that bordered on dangerous, Hocevar piloted his No. 77 Chevrolet while hanging out the window. He enthusiastically slammed the car’s roof and saluted the crowd as he rolled down the Talladega Superspeedway frontstretch and performed a burnout.
“I thought, ‘Man, I have really long legs, and I wonder if I can hit the throttle and sit on the door and ride,’” Hocevar said. “I just wanted them to get as loud as possible. I felt like they would if they could see me seeing them. Hopefully, it was cool.”
Based on the cheers, the thousands in attendance loved the celebration.
Led by its new executive management team, NASCAR was just as eager to christen its newest star at the Alabama track known as the biggest party venue on the circuit.
A 23-year-old who embraces the quintessential Gen Z hallmarks of digital outreach and gaming, Hocevar also has an unvarnished and unapologetically aggressive side that has encouraged comparisons with Dale Earnhardt.
Just like “The Intimidator,” NASCAR broadcasters have affixed the Spire Motorsports driver with a nickname — “Hurricane Hocevar” — reflecting his willingness to stir up trouble as he relentlessly chases victories.
O’Donnell sat through Hocevar’s first news conference as a Cup Series winner Sunday and gave a thumbs up to the Portage, Michigan, native for “the coolest celebration I’ve ever seen.”
O’Donnell said his main goal is to bring fun back to NASCAR, whose popularity has eroded from a peak driven by charismatic personalities. NASCAR launched a “Hell Yeah” marketing campaign intended to emphasize its roots in moonshine running and rabble-rousing.
Hocevar seems the relatable star to carry that message while bridging the gap to a 21st-century audience.
“He’s one of those guys we’re going to rely on as a sport,” O’Donnell said on the “Inside the Race” podcast Sunday night after Hocevar’s win. “What we just watched, the excitement and enthusiasm, that emotion is what fans want to see. They want to embrace a guy like Carson Hocevar, who is not only winning but looks like they’re enjoying themselves.”
