Troubled times persuade oft-criticized NASCAR Chairman Brian France to take a more open approach
By Michael Smith
Monday, February 08, 2010
Brian France addresses reporters during last month's Sprint Media Tour.
Sam Cranston
NASCAR Illustrated
Brian France was pissed. The note he had just opened from a high-ranking motorsports executive was quick and to the point: “Step up, we’re waiting for you.”
Perturbed, France immediately called the guy and wanted to know the meaning. No offense, the voice on the other end of the line said. The note was meant to be a source of encouragement, not criticism.
“Step up, we’re waiting for you.”
Truth is, many of the stakeholders in the sport feel much the same way about NASCAR’s chief executive.
It’s not that they think France can’t do the job; they wonder if he wants to do the job. They wonder why France didn’t adjust his behind-the-scenes approach to leading the sport sooner as NASCAR entered troubled economic waters, including drops in attendance and TV ratings, both of which were falling before the recession hit.
“I know there are some questions about leadership,” said Ray Evernham, a former championship-winning crew chief for driver Jeff Gordon, a former team owner and current ESPN analyst. “I’ve known Brian a long time and I know Brian can do it. But Brian’s got to stand up and say, ‘I’m in charge, we’re doing this. We’re on the same page and we’re going to get this done.’”
On a dreary January day at NASCAR’s Research and Development Center north of Charlotte, France bristled at the suggestion that he hasn’t been a take-charge leader in his six-plus years as CEO.
“If you’re going to compare me to somebody else, my father or whoever, I’m not going to be somebody else,” France said with conviction. “I have to manage in a way that fits my style and approach. Not everybody is going to agree with that.”
It was one of the few times that France’s businesslike expression changed during a recent conversation about his leadership style and vision for NASCAR’s future. Otherwise, the 47-year-old’s responses were crisp and direct. There was no time for rambling or small talk as he hopped from one meeting to another, talking to NASCAR owners and drivers, crew chiefs and marketers, track presidents and TV networks.
There was much work to be done and the start of a new season was just around the corner.
If there’s a legitimate gripe that France hasn’t led with the determination of his father, Bill Jr., and his grandfather, Big Bill, he’s trying his dead-solid best to put it to rest.
Brian has been dogged by the commitment question, and maybe he’s suffered by comparison to his father, who lived the sport, but he’s never been more active than in the months following the end of last season.
France’s off-season mission: meet with every track operator, broadcast partner and team by his self-imposed deadline of this week’s Daytona 500.
Leadership Questions
Ever since word spread that France was interested in owning an NFL team about five years ago – coupled with his sporadic appearances at the track – questions about France’s engagement with the sport spread from the garage to the suites. Those questions were revived when the recession hit the sport, and the teams and tracks looked for guidance from NASCAR.
“People do question Brian’s commitment, his leadership capabilities, only because they look at him and say he’s not Bill,” Evernham said. “It doesn’t make him soft or incapable; he’s just not Bill. The France family spirit is still there. Together, they can still be NASCAR. If they decide to put their heads together, people will support them.”
Fox Sports CEO David Hill launched his own thinly veiled criticism at France in December before a room full of racing executives during Champion’s Week in Las Vegas: “Bill Jr. was omnipresent at the track Thursday through Sunday. He could sniff a puff of smoke and put it out before anyone knew what happened. He could play on-track diplomat, judge, jury, he could talk things through. The sport is missing Bill Jr. in a lot of ways.”
Boy, if Brian had a nickel for every time he’s heard that one. The chief knock on France is that he’s not at the track every weekend to run the traveling circus like his father and grandfather were. He attends from 15 to 18 races a year out of the 36-race schedule.
But this is a different era, France says, and the demands of running a company with 1,700 employees are much more complex than just 15 years ago, when NASCAR corporate had 100 employees and his dad pretty much did it all, from running the competition to the business side.
Rather than spending four days a week at the track, the third-generation France says his time is better spent making calls like the one he did to NASCAR official partner 3M last month, when he spent the day visiting with the CEO, touring the company’s headquarters and learning about their business.
“I make visits like that all the time, every month,” said France, who led the sales and marketing arm of NASCAR before ascending to CEO. “I’ll go on a sales call, if there’s something I can add. We’ve been having these town hall meetings with the teams and I lead these. We have town hall meetings with our own employees every quarter. I don’t defer; I lead those because I want to interact with our people. That, frankly, gets missed.”
Much of France’s time is spent on the business side, not the competition side, which he leaves in the hands of NASCAR President Mike Helton. As a result, France has kept a low profile, just how he likes it. Helton is usually the one doing the talking on camera when there’s a controversial on-track decision to be explained.
As NASCAR encountered more turbulent times in 2008 and ’09, as sponsorship became tougher to find, TV and attendance figures dropped, and the licensing business crumbled, the industry expected to hear more from France.
“Step up, we’re waiting for you” was more than just a note; it was a refrain across the sport.
In the middle of the recession early in 2009, NASCAR’s only response was to limit testing by the teams, which theoretically could reduce their expenses. But most knew that the top teams would continue to test on their own.
France’s low-key approach and minimal response to the recession left many with the impression that NASCAR suffered from a void in leadership, that he was too slow to respond.
“It’s good to see that there’s finally some acknowledgment,” said veteran track promoter Humpy Wheeler, who formerly ran Charlotte Motor Speedway and now is CEO of The Wheeler Co. “You can’t do anything about a problem until you acknowledge you’ve got one and I think that’s finally happened. When things are going down, you’ve got to make changes.”
A ‘New Brian’
Those close to the sport have noticed a difference in France since the end of last season. While he has delegated authority and given his department heads more autonomy than they might have enjoyed in past regimes, France has been much more hands-on recently, not only sitting in on the meetings with teams, tracks and broadcasters, but leading the meetings.
Those meetings began during Champion’s Week in early December and have continued through the past week as France talks about the sport’s downward trends and what can be done to reverse them.
“The teams and others have always had a voice in NASCAR, but we just felt the need to formalize it to a higher degree,” France said. “Any big decision that we’ve got to make, we’ll get a focused meeting on that subject and get feedback. Our communication, especially with the teams, is at an all-time high.”
While the declines in TV ratings and attendance are well-documented, NASCAR has encountered other obstacles. The licensing industry has disintegrated, costing teams and the sanctioning body precious revenue. And the demographics of the NASCAR audience are skewing older, while the number of avid fans shrinks.
In the last 10 years, the average age of the NASCAR fan has gone from 38 to nearly 43, according to the ESPN Sports Poll, a service of TNS. The male demos of 18-24, 25-34 and 35-44 have each shrunk. The fastest-growing demos: 45-54 and 65 and older.
The data also shows that avid fans made up 12.8 percent of the total fan base in 2000, and grew to 16.2 percent in 2004, but the number of avid fans in 2009 was down to 11.6 percent. The drop in avid fans mirrors the decline in TV ratings.
All of these factors contributed to what France’s sister, Lesa Kennedy, called this “re-evaluation of the sport.” Kennedy is the CEO of NASCAR’s sister company, International Speedway Corp., and a NASCAR board member.
“It’s what is needed for the future,” she said of the re-evaluation. “Brian is doing a terrific job of gathering that input and listening to the stakeholders, and we’ll see some changes.”
Until just recently, France maintained his position out of the spotlight, despite these sinking trends. Friends say he’s not the type to seek publicity and many of his accomplishments go unnoticed because of that.
But this recent flurry of activity reflects a “new Brian,” said team owner and part-time driver Michael Waltrip. “I’ve always found the Frances to have their door open, but there’s a difference now. Before, you had to go to them. Now, they’re proactively knocking on doors, asking what can be done to make the races more entertaining.”
Others in the sport have seen the changes as well:
“I think we’re seeing a pretty dramatic change in Brian’s style, much more engaging, much more open,” said Brent Dewar, a vice president at General Motors and until recently the head of Chevrolet’s global brands.
“Brian’s making a statement that NASCAR recognizes the problem and they’re willing to make changes,” said Chris Powell, president at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“That he’s seeking input from drivers, track operators, all of the key stakeholders, that’s good,” said George Pyne, president of IMG Sports & Entertainment and former chief operating officer at NASCAR. “Bill Sr. and Bill Jr. had their ways of communicating, but these times call for a different approach.”
Inside these meetings, France “is the first dude to speak,” Waltrip said. “And that’s good. He’s the one we want to hear from.”
Waltrip’s team met with NASCAR’s top brass for two hours at the R&D Center last month. France shared feedback from the sport’s 12,000-member Fan Council and other demographic information. The CEO was joined in the meeting by members of his inner circle, including Helton; senior vice presidents Paul Brooks, Steve O’Donnell and Steve Phelps; and competition chiefs John Darby and Robin Pemberton. Waltrip came with his drivers, David Reutimann and Martin Truex Jr.
“NASCAR has stats that show the sport has had its ups and downs and we’re in a down,” Waltrip said. “He said that we’re not going to ignore that.”
France is telling teams, tracks and broadcasters that NASCAR will take a step back from an approach that’s been called overly officious in the past, and let the drivers dictate the action on the track. “It’s a contact sport,” France told reporters last month.
The message seems to be resonating. Powell said his track in Las Vegas has seen a surge in ticket sales in the last month and believes NASCAR’s recent messaging about more wide-open racing has prompted it. The theme is also at the heart of Fox Sports’ advertising sales pitch, and officials there say ad sales are 8 percent to 10 percent ahead of last year’s pace.
Into The Open
It’s been rare during France’s administration that his leadership has come with such a public face, as it has in the last few months. His friends say that many of France’s most noteworthy initiatives have been under appreciated because of it.
In fact, France probably “gets more credit outside of NASCAR than inside the sport,” said Mark Dyer, a senior vice president at IMG. Dyer helped bring Danica Patrick to NASCAR and formerly worked with the sanctioning body under France as its licensing chief.
It was France’s leadership, even before he became CEO in 2003, that led to the expansion of NASCAR offices to Charlotte, New York and Los Angeles. He was the one who brought the industry together to strike the landmark $2.4 billion TV deal in 1999 with NBC, Fox and Turner. He got the R&D Center built, he drove the idea for the revolutionary Chase for the Sprint Cup, and he forged ahead against a stiff headwind to bring spirits sponsorships into NASCAR five years ago. It was his vision that has led to the NASCAR Media Group’s explosive growth.
“It’s just not his nature to publicize himself or what he’s doing,” said Casey Wasserman, CEO of Wasserman Media Group and one of France’s friends in sports business. “Brian is a guy who has modernized the business of NASCAR in every facet so that it can compete and be successful for the next 50 years. He’s shown that he’s not afraid to make difficult decisions.”
But there’s also a time for the leader of a sport to be more visible, to be the front man while taking on problems of the industry.
“I don’t see NASCAR’s balance sheet, but you can see that they’ve lost sponsors, car owners are raising Cain, the tracks are not doing well,” Wheeler said. “It’s all way down from where it was.”
This year NASCAR will shrink the purses, which will allow the struggling tracks to keep more of their revenue.
“Any time the top executive is doing things like that, meeting with just about everybody in the sport, you know there’s big problems,” Wheeler said.
Countered Brooks, a 17-year NASCAR executive and one of France’s closest confidants: “He’s always leading, but he’s also keenly aware of when it needs to be more visible. He knows when to take it to the stage.”
– Michael Smith is a staff writer for Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal
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23 responses to "Troubled times persuade oft-criticized NASCAR Chairman Brian France to take a more open approach". Post a Comment.
DavyJones said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 12:35 PMBrian France was pissed?
So what?
Fans are pissed!
Sponsors are pissed!
Team owners are pissed!
Drivers are pisssed!
Well done, Brian . . . since 2003 you've brought the sport to this point.
You've been sitting on your hands while the sport has floundered and Michael Smith is suddenly telling us that 'people' are saying that your problem isn't that you're not a leader; the problem is, your style of leadership isn't visible?
Give us a break!
Smith cites Casey Wasserman, 'one of Frances's friends' as saying, “It’s just not his nature to publicize himself or what he’s doing. Brian is a guy who has modernized the business of NASCAR in every facet so that it can compete and be successful for the next 50 years. He’s shown that he’s not afraid to make difficult decisions.”
Really?
Tell us, specifically, how Brian France 'modernized the business of NASCAR in every facet'?
What does that mean?
Give us examples.
We'll be waiting.
One of Brian France's other friends, Paul Brooks, NASCAR Senior VP, gave Michael Smith an 'objective comment' for Smith's article when he said, "He’s always leading, but he’s also keenly aware of when it needs to be more visible. He knows when to take it to the stage.”
Without putting your 17 years at NASCAR on the line, what else would or could you say, Paul?
By the way, Paul, what 'stage' are you talking about?
And about when will Brian 'take it to the stage'?
Thanks for listening,
Davy Jones
BILLFAN50 said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 1:51 PMWhat is he getting ready to due with that mic?
BILLFAN50 said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 2:05 PMdo,my bad...
SheilaLovesNASCAR said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 3:43 PMBrian France single-handedly ruined my beloved NASCAR. Maybe he should buy a football team and leave NASCAR alone. NASCAR doesn't need a play-off system. Football does. They have the NFC and AFC. And north, south, east and west. So, you can't decide on a champion without a play-off. But NASCAR is racing. 43 cars at a time. Even during the so-called play-offs. The Super Bowl is the first race of the season. So, what's the point of a play-off? Just let them race like they used to. Give a lot of extra points for a win, and the driver with the most wins should win the championship.
As for Sponsors leaving, no wonder. Only the top 12 drivers even get mentioned. You can't race without sponsorship. What you get is 43 cars driving around those last 10 races, but only 12 count. Fans of 30 drivers aren't watching. And those 30 teams can't get sponsorship because no one mentions them.
I don't think fans are looking for WWE. They are looking for good racing. NASCAR fans are loyal to their drivers. The chase may have made more Jimmy Johnson fans, but I doubt it. It just chases away the fans of 30 drivers. Football fans don't watch BECAUSE there is a play-off. They just like football. And making NASCAR more like football, doesn't bring in NASCAR fans. Or take them away from football.
4wide said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 3:54 PMSo what he has 1700 employees. That is nothing. It is time that he step out and get lost.
Give the job to Ray Everham and lets go racing.
Look at the mess with Mayfield. Not defending Mayfield but France could have settled this thing last year.
Look at his TV deals. Put the races on one network and stop playing around with TNT and ESPN. We all no know that ESPN could care less about NASCAR.
Brian pack your bags and get the hell out before you kill the sport I once loved and now seldom watch.
In NASCAR was a public company you would have been gone in your fist 6 months
colofan said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 3:57 PMThe above comments are great; just want to add I believe all the interference in his personal life has caused him to be even more secretive. Nasty divorce and aftermath as well as just plain stupid nephews who were racing across a bridge.....you can't give me a ticket, I'm a France! He cannot handle all that. He his a terrible manager and I'm glad I don't work for him or Lisa!
keith308 said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 5:17 PMOne word for Brian France and 80% of the people will agree with me.
Leave!
esuchlandldo said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 5:29 PMI've writting letters to Brian France on many occasions regarding the state of NASCAR and giving him my recommendations. Not one time did he or any of his cronies ever reply. Since his father passed away he has done NOTHING to help this sport. His main point was to make as much money as possible and it seemed that GREED
Werner said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 6:14 PMit's my belief that Mike Helton took over NASCAR...
wasafan said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 6:34 PMLet's not forget that Brian is now just an employee of NASCAR.
He sold all his ISC stock and demanded all his NASCAR equity in cash from the family awhile ago and now most likely just has a multi-year "private company" employement contract. So no wonder he is not as focused as his dad and grand dad was.
And not to pile on all the other hate mail but sounds like he may have quite a missing income tax case, based on where he has reported his home state as over the several years.
Sorry I can't feel too bad for the mega rich and famous. It's just too bad for the sport that is now removing seats, TV ratings down, etc... And the US tax payers funding Gov't Motors and Dodge, thus the sport.
zebsdad said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 6:48 PM'bout time BF removed his head from his butt. Perhaps he'll be able to see some day in the distant future.
Motorsportsphotography said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 7:45 PMHe is still Chairman and CEO of NASCAR. NASCAR is his and Leesa's to do with what they want. Its their money so if they want to lose it, let them lose it.
wmvjr1960 said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 8:09 PMAn off-season committment to meet with every track operator, team, and network ? WOW, what a lofty goal that is. And who asked Michael Waltrip, freakin' Andy Griffith is the biggest brown-noser ever.
Clint_Eastwood said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 8:22 PM4WIDE, Maybe you better rethink what you said. NASCAR is publicly-traded on the stock exchange under stock symbol ISCA. Its been traded for years. Some of the major investors are Vanguard, 20th Century, and Merrill Lynch.
BILLFAN50 said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 8:47 PMGood point WMVJR1960,and nascar has had D.W. pushing for how great the COT is for the past year and a half...
beefjurski said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 9:25 PMhey Eastwood, you may want to rethink what you said. ISCA is International Speedway Corporation. They own however many tracks on the circut like daytona, dega, michigan etc. Yes the Frances do own ISC (no question marks raised there of course) but NASCAR is a private company. leadership is simply passed down.
junebug88 said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 9:31 PMMr France I am sure you won't read this but you have not a clue of what you are doing nor do you care about the NASCAR. I suggest you leave and go away and let someone who is interested in getting the interest back in the sport. You not only lack in leadership but lack in development as well, let's move on!
nascarbill8 said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 9:46 PMI agree with comment #4. Brian France is to blame for the current state that NASCAR is in.It is not that he needs to be a leader,he is. He is a bad leader.He is the one who brought the chase and other changes to NASCAR that are driving the fans away.A good leader is not afraid to admit they might have made a mistake.He needs to really start to listen to the fans and not just give us lip service. I think that we have made it very clear that we do not like the chase.It seems like the drivers do not talk about winning anymore, but about making the chase and in February at Daytona.It should be about winning races, not making the chase and who ever has the most wins at the end of the season,is the champion.No one should be guaranteed a starting spot. The fastest 43 cars to qualify should be in the race and do away with the lucky dog.Not every car has to be on the lead lap. And along with that, NASCAR needs to break their love affair with the caution flag.I am tired of caution flags for phantom debris just to bunch the field back up.Let them race. If I wanted sports entertainment,and I do not, I would watch the WWE.And that is what NASCAR has become,the WWE on wheels.
manzytrophygirl said:
Feb 8, 2010 at 9:48 PM...the emperor in la-la land...his own little world...don't piss off that ego!!!
grumpyjim52 said:
Feb 9, 2010 at 8:22 AM“I have to manage in a way that fits my style and approach. Not everybody is going to agree with that.”
There lies the problem, it's hard to come down from a high point of elitism. Brian, get in touch with the Real Fans, we have been telling you for four years to correct course.
Robbygordonfan1 said:
Feb 9, 2010 at 5:14 PMWow.....20 comments and no one believes your capable of leading. I've never seen agreement like this in the comment section ever. I'm surprised your "focus group" of fans didn't tell you the same thing your high level executive did, "Step up."
All you had to do in response to Matt Kenseth's 1 win championship season was to bump up the winner's points by 10 or so but you over responded and gave us the crappy Chase.
Brian you should of been fired 4 years ago.
sibbi173 said:
Feb 10, 2010 at 10:09 AMDavyJones;;;Right On!!! My thoughts EXACTLY!! I wish for the old style of Nascar Racing....not this 'football', 'chase' style. Let the driver who wins the MOST races be the champion....Let them RACE instead of calculating every move and every point. It's BORING, and getting worse every year.....too bad...I used to look forward to each race.....but not anymore....
Lefty224 said:
Feb 13, 2010 at 9:31 AMI hear allot of lip service ...Let them make a real tough call, not going to happen....Who has the SACK SADDLE on now Mr.France??? Scott Speed went below the yellow line to pass. How can we have any faith in NASCAR rules? MW playing to the cameras..tears,cheers and hugs? I wanted to puke. I am not partisan to any of the drivers in this deal, but rules are rules...sometimes....the rerun of the 2009 truck race last night saw a couple of yellow line black flags and MW was very quick to point it out. I wonder what he will say today????