Like most of you, everyone at Kickin’ the Tires was immediately taken aback when news of NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France’s arrest for aggravated driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of a controlled substance first broke on TMZ, of all places.
It’s tough to say we were surprised because there has been innuendo, rumor and speculation for years about France’s problems with alcohol and chemical substances – whether legal or illegal. But the past is the past and whatever he did, or didn’t do, or whatever he did, or didn’t get away with, is now irrelevant. What matters is he couldn’t talk his way out of a night in jail after sailing through a stop sign in Sag Harbor Village and allegedly being over double the legal blood-alcohol limit. As for the Oxycodone that officers say they found during a routine search, that is the least of his problems and will, most likely, be explained with a prescription left back in North Carolina, Florida or wherever else he may have a home with a medicine cabinet and a partially empty pill bottle.
It’s hard not to be angry at France for being so selfish, stupid or reckless. He put lives in danger and he gave NASCAR a huge public relations nightmare when it should have been on Cloud Nine with Chase Elliott going to Victory Lane at Watkins Glen International just two hours before.
That’s right, roughly seven hours away by car, Elliott was congratulated by NASCAR Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell and NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton on his first career Cup Series win.
France has been repeatedly criticized by drivers, fans and the media for not attending the races in a sport his family owns and grew from nothing. It’s now a multi-billion dollar operation and, guess what, it has more than one corporate jet available for France to fly to and from each event in style.
For years, the NASCAR media corps has been told that France has pressing issues that often prevented him from attending races and we bought into it. Well, on Sunday, those pressing issues involved – allegedly – multiple interactions of his lips being pressed to the rim of a glass containing his favorite adult beverage.
Lots of people are calling this incident a “crossroads” for NASCAR and want to see France run out of the sport. The staff here discussed whether this was the correct approach to solving the problem ahead of the sanctioning body and the majority seems to be in agreement that France did not commit a capital offense. As one person said, “he shouldn’t be burned at the stake.”
That is true. And, likewise, he shouldn’t be forced to step away from the sport he has helped (yes, helped) build through the years. However, giving him back the keys to the kingdom without personal atonement and an explanation to the fans should be withheld until he and the other leaders at NASCAR feel he is ready to return. Isn’t that what the sanctioning body refers to when it implements its Road to Recovery for drivers and crew members?
At the end of the day, NASCAR is a private company and it is owned by the France family. Whether Brian France still has an ownership stake in the company is irrelevant because he is part of the NASCAR DNA. Through the years, he has done many good things for the sport, including the creation of the Camping World Truck Series, negotiating a lucrative television deal, bringing in entitlement sponsors and giving back millions to communities across the country.
France took the first major step in getting help on Monday afternoon when he announced he was taking an indefinite leave of absence from the sport. He apologized for his actions and asked for time to take care of what is obviously a very personal issue that has likely been plaguing him for years. To that, we say, “Thank you, Brian, for recognizing you have a problem. We only wish it would have been sooner; for you, and for NASCAR.”
This is the beginning of a new chapter for Brian France and hopefully it will lead to healing and recovery for himself, his family and the sport. We wish Brian France no ill-will, but we do feel slighted because he stole the headlines from what could have been an incredible week of positive press for a sport that has been struggling to hold onto its fanbase.
Brian France needs help, not a roadmap out of the sport
Like most of you, everyone at Kickin’ the Tires was immediately taken aback when news of NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France’s arrest for aggravated driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of a controlled substance first broke on TMZ, of all places.
It’s tough to say we were surprised because there has been innuendo, rumor and speculation for years about France’s problems with alcohol and chemical substances – whether legal or illegal. But the past is the past and whatever he did, or didn’t do, or whatever he did, or didn’t get away with, is now irrelevant. What matters is he couldn’t talk his way out of a night in jail after sailing through a stop sign in Sag Harbor Village and allegedly being over double the legal blood-alcohol limit. As for the Oxycodone that officers say they found during a routine search, that is the least of his problems and will, most likely, be explained with a prescription left back in North Carolina, Florida or wherever else he may have a home with a medicine cabinet and a partially empty pill bottle.
It’s hard not to be angry at France for being so selfish, stupid or reckless. He put lives in danger and he gave NASCAR a huge public relations nightmare when it should have been on Cloud Nine with Chase Elliott going to Victory Lane at Watkins Glen International just two hours before.
That’s right, roughly seven hours away by car, Elliott was congratulated by NASCAR Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell and NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton on his first career Cup Series win.
France has been repeatedly criticized by drivers, fans and the media for not attending the races in a sport his family owns and grew from nothing. It’s now a multi-billion dollar operation and, guess what, it has more than one corporate jet available for France to fly to and from each event in style.
For years, the NASCAR media corps has been told that France has pressing issues that often prevented him from attending races and we bought into it. Well, on Sunday, those pressing issues involved – allegedly – multiple interactions of his lips being pressed to the rim of a glass containing his favorite adult beverage.
Lots of people are calling this incident a “crossroads” for NASCAR and want to see France run out of the sport. The staff here discussed whether this was the correct approach to solving the problem ahead of the sanctioning body and the majority seems to be in agreement that France did not commit a capital offense. As one person said, “he shouldn’t be burned at the stake.”
That is true. And, likewise, he shouldn’t be forced to step away from the sport he has helped (yes, helped) build through the years. However, giving him back the keys to the kingdom without personal atonement and an explanation to the fans should be withheld until he and the other leaders at NASCAR feel he is ready to return. Isn’t that what the sanctioning body refers to when it implements its Road to Recovery for drivers and crew members?
At the end of the day, NASCAR is a private company and it is owned by the France family. Whether Brian France still has an ownership stake in the company is irrelevant because he is part of the NASCAR DNA. Through the years, he has done many good things for the sport, including the creation of the Camping World Truck Series, negotiating a lucrative television deal, bringing in entitlement sponsors and giving back millions to communities across the country.
France took the first major step in getting help on Monday afternoon when he announced he was taking an indefinite leave of absence from the sport. He apologized for his actions and asked for time to take care of what is obviously a very personal issue that has likely been plaguing him for years. To that, we say, “Thank you, Brian, for recognizing you have a problem. We only wish it would have been sooner; for you, and for NASCAR.”
This is the beginning of a new chapter for Brian France and hopefully it will lead to healing and recovery for himself, his family and the sport. We wish Brian France no ill-will, but we do feel slighted because he stole the headlines from what could have been an incredible week of positive press for a sport that has been struggling to hold onto its fanbase.