New CEO Steve O’Donnell vows to unite NASCAR and return the enjoyable

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — Steve O’Donnell desires to deliver some enjoyable again to NASCAR, which he calls a “badass American sport.”

O’Donnell was launched because the sanctioning physique’s chief government officer at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday and vowed to “make some moves” that can return the storied racing sequence to its roots.

“We lost that in recent years,” O’Donnell mentioned.

Majority proprietor Jim France stepped down as CEO however will stay NASCAR’s chairman, and his majority possession stake is not going to change.

O’Donnell will turn into the primary particular person exterior the France household to carry the CEO title.

Bill France Sr. based the racing sequence in 1948 and all the time had a member of the family within the prime function. Ben Kennedy, France’s great-nephew and the son of NASCAR government Lesa Kennedy France, was promoted to chief working officer.

“They’re going to take this thing even further,” Jim France mentioned.

Jim France had been chairman and CEO of NASCAR because the 2019 resignation of his nephew, Brian.

It marks the second promotion in almost a yr for O’Donnell, who has spent 30-plus years guiding NASCAR’s advertising and marketing and later competitors departments. He was named president in March 2025.

France took a hardline stance in negotiations for the 2025 revenue-sharing settlement, triggering an antitrust lawsuit by Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. The sides reached a settlement in December that granted NASCAR groups the everlasting charters they’d sought.

France struggled to recollect a number of subjects throughout a shaky first day of testimony and wanted a number of questions repeated.

NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps resigned earlier this yr after inflammatory texts he despatched throughout contentious revenue-sharing negotiations had been revealed in the course of the trial.

O’Donnell escaped unscathed and now will get tasked with NASCAR’s subsequent part, which he instructed was to verify everybody is aware of it’s a “badass American sport.” He vowed to unite the trade, hear to each stakeholder — together with followers — and tackle issues with urgency.

“It’s what we have to do each and every day,” O’Donnell mentioned. “We’ve got to showcase that.”

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