NASCAR majority owner Jim France has stepped down as CEO and has been replaced by president Steve O'Donnell.
France will remain as NASCAR's chairperson, and his majority ownership stake will not change.
"It is an honor to step into the role of CEO working alongside Ben and our leadership team at such an important time for our sport," O'Donnell said in a statement. "I have devoted nearly my entire career to NASCAR, this garage and our fans, guided by the France family's commitment to deliver the best racing in the world. I am grateful and energized to continue to collaborate with our colleagues across our sport, while listening to our race fans to realize that vision each and every week."
O'Donnell will be the first person outside the France family to hold the CEO title of NASCAR. Bill France Sr. founded the United States' most popular racing series in 1948 and always had a family member in the top role before the changes announced Saturday.
Ben Kennedy, Jim France's great-nephew, will be promoted to chief operating officer.
"I am incredibly proud of the strength and stability we've achieved across the sport, which gives me tremendous confidence in our plan to transition leadership to Steve as NASCAR's next CEO and Ben as COO," Jim France said in a statement. "Together, they represent the future of the sport, and along with our world-class executive team and race team partners in the garage, they will guide NASCAR into its exciting next era."
Jim France had been chairman and CEO of NASCAR since the 2019 resignation of his nephew, Brian France.
Jim France took a hard-line stance in negotiations for the 2025 revenue-sharing agreement, triggering an antitrust lawsuit by Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. The sides reached a settlement in December that granted NASCAR teams the permanent charters they had sought.
France was soft-spoken, needed several questions repeated and struggled to remember several topics during his first day of testimony in the antitrust trial before a stronger second day.
Steve Phelps resigned as NASCAR commissioner earlier this year after inflammatory texts he sent during contentious revenue-sharing negotiations were revealed during the trial.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
