The promotions of Steve O’Donnell and Ben Kennedy are not an extension of the status quo, but instead, aim to be the start of something new for the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing.
O’Donnell has taken over as Chief Executive Officer from Jim France, the youngest son of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. Kennedy, the great-grandson of the elder France, is now serving as Chief Operating Officer.
The France family remains at the helm of the league with Jim France, 81, remaining chairman of the Board of Directors and daughter Lesa France Kennedy remaining vice chair but the promotions represent a new vision.
Combined with the departure of Steve Phelps as Commissioner in January, it’s hard not to interpret the leadership overhaul as anything other than a response to the fallout of the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports v NASCAR trial.
Over the course of the proceedings, the elder France was painted as stubbornly unmoving in the face of reasonable needs from those who compete at the highest levels of the discipline. The proceedings painted NASCAR leadership as somewhat out of touch and unwilling to thoroughly communicate with those who exist in the space.
With that said, O’Donnell and Kennedy frequently came across as being moderate leaders who attempted in good faith to bring all parties together while responding to the pandemic, the charter negotiations and lawsuit respectively.
With that said, O’Donnell still recognizes that not enough listening took place from the glass office in Daytona Beach, and that is a priority of his moving into the next phase of his life and career.
“We’re going to listen to fans, drivers, tracks, manufacturers, OEMs, and probably most importantly for us, too, all of the talented employees we have at NASCAR,” said O’Donnell during a press conference with Kennedy on Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway. “Not just the leadership team but those who are out selling the tickets, interacting with the fans and can tell you what’s really happening, where we need the sport to go.
“I know there are a number of areas that we need to address and we’re going to move with urgency. What we’re going to need from this industry, and I’m talking to everyone in this industry now, is their collective intelligence.
“We have some of the brightest minds in all of motorsports each and every weekend in the garage. We have to tap into that, be united and work together.”
The 57-year-old is a NASCAR lifer who first started working with the Sanctioning Body in the 1990s. He sounded motivated, not in a scripted way, but spoken like someone who felt like this was something he was born to do.
There was conviction.
“We’re going to get to work,” O’Donnell said. “We’ve already been at work. The big thing, twofold, we’re going to make some moves and have some fun. I think we lost that over the last couple of years.
“It is an unbelievable privilege to be in this position. My wife reminded me today that people would kill to be doing what you’re doing. That’s not lost on me.
“It’s a privilege to do it, but it’s also fun, what we get to do each and every day. The (ARCA) race you just saw was unbelievable, the enthusiasm from the drivers. We got to showcase that, be proud of that, proud of who we are. I think you’ll see more of that.”
For Kennedy, 34, this is just another step up the ladder for what everyone believes is a steady ascension towards taking over from O’Donnell when the time comes and then his uncle as Chairman sometime after that.
He represents the bridge between NASCAR’s past and its future — with his experience as a driver and millennial both having value for the intended growth of the series. In recent years, Kennedy has worked on scheduling and competition and will focus more on the latter in his new position.
Julie Giese, most recently the president of Phoenix Raceway and the Chicago Street Course, is now the head of the spear on scheduling matters.
“She’s done a tremendous job already helping us build out the 2027 schedule,” Kennedy said. “We’re actually leaving after this to sit down and talk with a few drivers about it.
We have a great team on the event and venues team, whether it’s the racetracks, folks are thinking about hospitality, food and beverage at our tracks. We have six or seven verticals that live within our team today. Then we get to add in John Probst and the competition folks together.”
Kennedy previously raced Super Late Models, ARCA and in the Truck Series, winning a race in the latter at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2016. His time behind the wheel has always made him a valuable intermediary between the garages and glass office.
“Yeah, it’s helpful,” Kennedy said. “I didn’t realize when I was a driver, I didn’t think to realize how much it would help me coming to the business side of the sport.
“Being a driver, going to the race shop every Tuesday and Wednesday, spending time with the team on the weekend, then being a team owner as well. We still have a Late Model team out at Daytona.
“I think it’s also created a level of empathy in the garage area. More important than anything is the relationships I built being a driver and being a team owner. I think it’s really neat.
O’Donnell, in his words ‘bragged a bit’ on Kennedy in response to this, recognizing how valuable he is in the garage. He shared a story about Kennedy’s first year, and first week, working as an executive in the Truck Series.
“Within three days we had a report from 36 team owners,” Kennedy said. “He had met with every single team owner, had ideas where we could go.
“In addition to the experience, I think he puts in the work. That’s respected by every one of our people at NASCAR. I think you see that in the garage, too, which is welcomed. It’s awesome.”
But again, O’Donnell wanted to emphasize that NASCAR is listening now in a way that it just wasn’t for a decade stretch in recent years. He conceded that fans lost their passion for NASCAR and that he wants to get some of that back.
That started with the return of the Chase for the Championship as their playoff format.
“I think there are a lot of other ideas that are out there that the fans go as what they see the drivers do, adding horsepower, doing some things this year that we’re going to continue to make those moves, hopefully in the right direction, that our fans embrace,” O’Donnell said. “Hopefully see that throughout this year.
“With that, our fans are the best salespeople in the sports world, right? They love NASCAR. If we can get anyone here to the infield of Talladega, they’re going to be coming back. That’s the goal, is showcase to everyone what we love about this sport.”
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