TALLADEGA, Ala. — Not even 72 hours into the new role, Steve O'Donnell had already shown that he would not be a typical CEO.
Videos by FanBuzz
He did not accept his new role leading NASCAR and go hide in an ivory tower; he hung out in the Talladega Superspeedway media center, having a grand ole time watching press conferences.
As media members returned from gathering content on pit road and in victory lane, O'Donnell wandered into the room. He sauntered over to Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher for a conversation and then he took an open chair.
Yet, O'Donnell did not remain seated for long. He got back up and began rummaging through the containers filled with snacks for media members.
Once he found the snack he wanted — it appeared to be Belvita cookies — he had some conversations with various people in the room. He did not hide behind a handler or a security guard.
One conversation touched on the new book chronicling every Cup Series champion from H.A. Branham and Holly Cain. Another chat focused on the proper definition of "Ghost Riding the Whip."
Never in my life did I ever think that I would watch @Jordan_Bianchi explain Ghost Riding the Whip to NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell, but it was great.
OD said it was the coolest thing he's seen.— John Newby (@JohnNewby_) April 26, 2026
The evening continued with O'Donnell just taking in press conferences featuring Spire Motorsports owner Jeff Dickerson, crew chief Luke Lambert, and race-winning driver Carson Hocevar.
He mostly watched the press conferences, but he chimed in at a couple points to confirm that he was a fan of Hocevar hanging out of the No. 77's window while celebrating a career-first win. He gave a thumbs up to the move and let everyone know that he will not be banning this move as many expected.
Carson gets his congratulations from the CEO. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/o19c8lkWgH
— Chris Gollon (@chris_gollon) April 27, 2026
The night did not end there. He waited until hours after the Cup Series race ended so that he could appear on The Teardown podcast with Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi. It was during this episode that he discussed some plans for the sport, which will begin with him just listening to people and will continue with making the sport "fun again."
This is a side of O'Donnell that NASCAR fans haven't traditionally seen. It also marks a stark difference between him and NASCAR chairman Jim France, who stepped from his role as CEO last weekend.
The two men have many differences, most notably, their personalities. France is a quiet man who preferred to remain well away from the spotlight during his time leading NASCAR.
He wasn't one to hop onto podcasts for interviews or host the annual State of the Sport address during championship weekend. That just isn't France, who started his tenure with the sport parking cars at race tracks. He isn't a big personality.
O'Donnell is a bit more on the outgoing side; this is expected, considering that he is a diehard New York sports fan. As he has acknowledged multiple times over the past year, his occasionally fiery comments and texts tie into being a very passionate person.
O'Donnell certainly has been in the public eye over the past few years while serving as chief operating officer and then NASCAR president. He has conducted dozens of interviews on the radio and in person.
The new NASCAR CEO had his supporters over the years. He has also had his detractors, just like other high-profile figures leading various sports leagues.
Some vocal fans referred to him simply as one of "the Steves," which also referenced now-former NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps. When NASCAR made a decision good or bad, these vocal fans said on social media that "the Steves need to go!"
Bob you are joking, right? @NASCAR is a joke right now. Current car is the worst ever. We are seeing who is running the sport into the ground. I don't think they understand anything related to auto racing. The Steves need to go, they will get no respect going forward from anyone.
— Molson Ice (@molsonice88) November 22, 2025
O'Donnell has heard the criticism and the calls for him to lose his job. He hasn't shied away from it.
O'Donnell has acknowledged that NASCAR has made some mistakes in the past while trying to become more like the "traditional" sports. He made a point to mention this during his opening press conference after taking over as CEO.
A CEO admitting mistakes is not something regularly seen, especially when said CEO is mere hours into the role.
"We're the one sport which is awesome in the fact that they are the most passionate fans and you know where they stand," he said at Talladega Superspeedway.
"I think with that passion, we lost a little bit of fans feeling like this was their sport. You're seeing that come back. The 'Hell Yeah!' campaign is all about that. But as we go forward, it's taking their input and making some moves."
This press conference admitting past mistakes, the appearances on podcasts and radio shows, and the time spent hanging out at Talladega have already shown that O'Donnell isn't what many expect when they hear "CEO of a major sport."
Will this lead to greater success for NASCAR in both the short term and long term? That remains unclear, but O'Donnell certainly will not copy any other executive while pursuing this goal.
