A major leadership change is taking place at NASCAR, according to a new report from The Athletic. Jim France is stepping down from his role as CEO.
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Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic broke the news on Friday as the entire industry descended upon Talladega Superspeedway. Bianchi's sources said that France, the son of NASCAR founder Bill France, will step aside while current NASCAR President Steve O'Donnell will take over as the new CEO.
France will remain chairman of NASCAR, and he will continue to hold his 54% ownership stake in the company.
A corresponding move will take place involving a different member of the family. Ben Kennedy will move on from his role of executive vice president and chief venue and racing innovations officer. He will take over as chief operating officer.
This marks the first time in the history of stock car racing that someone other than a member of the France family will serve as CEO. Yet, O'Donnell has extensive ties to the sport.
The new NASCAR CEO has been a part of the company for 30 years while serving in multiple roles. At one point, he worked in marketing and helped out with the famed "hat dance" in victory lane, a tradition where the winning driver dons multiple hats for photographs.
O'Donnell has since worked his way up the competition ranks. For example, he worked as chief operating officer in recent years but became president in March 2025 when NASCAR promoted Steve Phelps to commissioner.
Phelps ultimately resigned ahead of the 2026 season as fallout from the antitrust lawsuit trial between NASCAR and 23XI Racing/Front Row Motorsports. This put more of a spotlight on O'Donnell as one of the faces of the sport.
Now, O'Donnell's role will expand even further as he replaces France. He will oversee all of NASCAR's racing series — which includes IMSA — and its tracks. He will also have a prominent role in strategic planning.
