European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 6, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                June 2007 stars and stripes Page 35 Lascar owes All its Success to France by Jenna Fryer the associated press everything Lascar has today foldout races from coast to a full television major corporate sponsorship and multimillion Dollar salaries for its stars can be credited to Bill France France spent 31 years at the Helm of his family shrewdly taking Lascar from a regional sport into mainstream he did it under the premise that no single person was bigger than the a belief that will be practice Long after his diagnosed with cancer in France had been in poor health for much of the last he died monday at his Daytona he was Hes the one probably most responsible for the state of our sport said Dale Earnhardt Nastars most popular we will do our part in continuing his and put Ting on a Good show for the i think that what he would want us to it was always about the show for who Learned the Busi Ness from the inside out while Ris ing through Nastars his decisions we rent always and they often rankled but with a Sharp Tongue and an Iron France never wavered in his Ive never seen anyone who could strike the balance that Bill he knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish and rarely yet always made it a Point to be team owner Rick Hendrick fiercely protective of the sport his father France earned a Well deserved reputation As a benevolent he was in charge like it or not As he quickly reminded dissent and when the arguing even his harshest critics agreed Lascar would be the better for Frances his father taught him this Busi Ness from the ground up and Bill had respect for our sports history and a Strong desire to continue to move it which he his leadership will be said rival Bruton who regularly battled France As head of Speedway motor sports monday the Sextel cup series was racing at Dover International and officials there lowered the Flag to Hal staff in Victory Lane in Frances theres not enough words to describe what Hes meant to this sport and what Hes done for two time series Champion Tony Stewart i guarantee its the biggest loss in racing since Dale and its probably big Frances last Public appear Ance was 12 in Daytona where Nastars top names gathered to roast and Toast him at the Bill France hot dog France even especially he called the his Toast ers were gently reminded to avoid any harsh roast France did not speak during the dinner but received guests from his seat on the ban Quet in Between bites of his beloved pulliams hot dog he was notorious for his love of the Franks from he uttered his Standard response when asked How he was in on the right Side of the the irascible France and there Arent any roots grow ing out of my that acerbic wit was a Staple of his autocratic France became chairman in replacing his Lascar founder William Henry Getty who retired 25 years after forming the National association for Stock car France prepped for the Job by doing a Little bit of everything Dur ing his Rise through ratings grass he was a sold con parked scored races and promoted it was not an easy he hammered up advertising posters in places like North the old Charlotte Speedway and the Beach track at Lowes motor Speed Way president Humpy Wheeler he did everything from sell ing tickets to giving broke racers enough Money to get Home or to the next he will go Down As one of the great leaders of american sport in the 20th Century and his contribution to motor sports is Limmea France also helped in the construction of Daytona International working 12 hours a seven Days a week As he drove a Bulldozer and grader in the 13 months it took to build the he once even tried to use a mule to pull Trees out of the because the motorized equipment kept get Ting when he took Over he inherited a sport Rich in South Ern traditions but mostly unknown everywhere his dad started got it up and and Junior took it and put the people together to take it from a Southern sport to a National seven time Lascar Champion Richard Petty he was there where it was developed with the when it was developed with the new where it was developed from half mile dirt tracks to super you just look at the popularity and look at the people and look at the Money involved he must have done a Heck of a Job at before Frances tenure the few races that made it onto Truex earns first cup Victory by Dan Gelston the associated press Dei returned to Victory Lane with a Junior Dale Earnhardt unheralded and previously wingless team Martin Truex after another weekend of non Stop Earnhardt Truex gave the Dale Earnhardt team a much needed Victory in the autism Speaks 400 race at Dover International Speed Way on it feels Good to hush up All that and solidify the fact that we Are Here for Truex we Are going to win races and contend for championships in the news of longtime Lascar chairman Bill France death overshadowed Trues first Ca reer Sextel cup Victory and even silenced the Earnhardt re at least for a Truex won for the first time in 58 career Points races on what the new Jersey native has Long considered his Hometown he ended a dominant five race winning Streak for Hendrick to leading 216 of the 400 laps on the monster mile in Nastars car of rumours have swirled for weeks about what team earn Hardt will drive for next Truex can talk about his Victory instead of the latest Earnhardt his message was this Dei is far from finished even without Junior is a great asset Junior has been a great teammate for a Mentor for Truex but we can go we can win we showed that certainly the Days wait for the race was Worth it for now closing in on being one of the top 12 Drivers for the Hes eight Points behind Mark who 12th and running a Par time schedule this the Chase is definitely not out of the question for especially with the momentum we Truex i think weve got what it takes to do weve still got a ways to go to have a shot at the weve still got stuff to work after rain washed out the race sunday and fell hard blowers were still out while the cars were out on the Grid waiting for their Pace but the Sun peeked out right As the Green Flag which led to a Clear and clean Day of pole Sitter Ryan who led most of the first half of the race and 135 laps was denied his first Victory since 2005 and finished Carl who won the Busch series race was newmans runner up finish was the Best by a Dodge this sea and Hes moved from 26th to 16th in the standings Over the last five he definitely likes this race and that s unfortunate for Newman just to be up front All Day and Lead a lot of laps is a great even on a Carolyn Kastova Martin Truex takes a Victory Lap after winning the autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway in on Truex led 216 of the 400 laps on the monster Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top Hendrick motor sports had won five straight races and nine of the past 10 Sextel cup but Only Points Leader Jeff Gor Don 9th finished in the top Casey Mears was 13th Jimmie Johnson was 15th and Kyle Busch Gordon has a 152point Lead Over Johnson in the Points stand it was a Good Points Day for Well take Gordon Mears won the coca cola 600 last giving Sextel cup two firs time winners in consecutive it was the first time the series had consecutive firs time winners since Tony Stewart and Joe Nemechek in Truex has not seen his Busch series Success consecutive championships in 2004 and 2005 carry Over into his first two cup but he gained momentum two weeks ago when he won the Sextel open at Char Lotte and earned a spot in Nastars Allstar this is Way bigger than the Truex this is my first this is Earnhardt had hoped to turn a second place qualifying Effort into his first win of the season but was plagued by tire dropped four laps Back at one Point and finished Earnhardt congratulated Truex in Victory telling his teammate he knew he could it Means a Truex Hes been a great Truex led for 51 laps late in the before Newman and Edwards took turns out Johnson even made a late run at Truex until problems with his right rear tire dropped him i went from catching the 1 a Little bit at a time to being re ally Loose and losing Johnson to were shown in snippets on shows such As abcs wide world of within six France had a Deal with lbs sports to televise the 1979 Daytona 500 from Flag to the race received huge with Richard Petty winning after Donnie Allison and Cale Yarbor Ough crashed on the final Allison and his then fought with Yarborough on live it led to More and in Lascar finally packaged the entire circuit together in a billion contract that awarded races to Abc and int that began in Bill France truly defined the often misused term Fox sports chairman David Hill who had a mild heart attack in relinquished his role As Lascar president to Mike Helton and handed off chair Man duties to son Brian in the Good thing is he built a family oriented sport that has a lot of depth and a lot of strength to Helton it will go it will go on and that the greatest tribute to Bill it want always smooth be tween father and evidenced by an awkward moment during a 2003 news conference to announce Nastars shift into non traditional Brian represented Lascar that with his father squirming in the Audi frustrated with brians presen France stood up and with out a microphone awkwardly interrupted to emphasize a Point he didst think Brian was making Clear As the crowd chuckled at Bill just being Brian twisted uncomfortably on the i told him i was disappointed that he thought he needed to make his Point at that Brian France later eight months France lauded his son As he handed him the Ive got total Confidence in what Brian can France Hes loaded with Street Frances Lesa France runs International Speedway the owner and operator of most of the major race his younger is the executive vice president of Lascar and vice chairman of France also is survived by his Betty and three grand funeral arrangements Are