Brian France says he has no plans to leave NASCAR. Credit: Autostock

Notebook: France says he's not going anywhere

NASCAR chairman denies rumors that say he'll leave sport

CONCORD, N.C. -- During a stop on the NASCAR Nextel Media Tour on Monday, NASCAR chairman of the board Brian France denied rumors that say he's leaving the sanctioning body.

France, appointed chairman and CEO in September 2003, said he would remain in that position when asked if he would leave the sport.

Brian France

"Well, I hope not," France said at NASCAR's research and development center. "Look, I'm only 42 years old, so it's a little early for me to retire. That's that. Look, we had a great year. I'm looking forward to '05.

"We've got a deep, structured team anyway, but I'm not planning on going anywhere. That's really the extent of that I can even comment to. I don't know where that started."

Rumors cropped up recently that France would sell his stock in NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation -- allegedly to sister Lesa France Kennedy and uncle Jim France -- so he could become owner of an NFL expansion franchise in Los Angeles.

Autoweek reported that France denied any interest in owning a professional football team.

Part-time Nextel Cup driver Boris Said likes the new format for determining the Daytona 500 lineup. Said isn't among the top 35 cars based on owners' points, bu the knows his MB/Sutton team has a fast speedway car.

Boris Said was ninrh-fastest in Daytona qualifying. Credit: Autostock

"I think it's better for a guy like me," Said said. "There aren't any provisionals anymore, and it gives me more chances to make the race. It's going to be confusing for people to get used to it, but I understand it. I was surprised with how easy it was for me to understand."

Of course, Said had the ninth-fastest single-car speed during testing at Daytona and the third among non-top 35 teams. If he doesn't qualify for the 500 through the Gatorade Duel qualifying races -- he'll need to finish among the top four non-top 35 cars -- he should through qualifying, since the four fastest non-top 35 cars make it in.

"If we came in with a new team, with their own engine program and not as many resources, then it would probably easier the other way because it's a far better chance to squeak in with the 150s," said Said's crew chief, Frank Stoddard.

Hendrick Motorsports hired Marshall Carlson as general manager of the multi-car team, Rick Hendrick announced Monday. Carlson replaces Jeff Turner, who was killed in a plane crash last Oct. 24.

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Carlson is married to Hendrick's daughter, Lynn. He'll oversee the day-to-day operations of the race team, which fields four Nextel Cup teams and a Busch Series team. More than 500 people work for Hendrick Motorsports.

"I can't think of a more appropriate or capable person to serve our 500 employees and their families," Hendrick said. "Marshall has been with our racing and automotive operations for years and has experience in many different areas of this business.

"From working in a team shop to overseeing millions of dollars in new construction, he's always played a key role and will certainly continue to do so for a long time."

Carlson comes to the race team after serving as vice president of corporate financial management with the Hendrick Automotive Group.

"I'm honored by the opportunity to come back home (to Hendrick Motorsports)," Carlson said. "It's been a tough few months for all of us, but we have a deep team of dedicated and talented people who have all stepped up to meet an extremely difficult challenge.

"Our primary goal is to continue the Hendrick traditions of teamwork, dedication and success, both on the racetrack and in our communities. I look forward to being a small part of that."

The MB2-MBV-MB/Sutton Motorsports team will move to a new shop sometime in July, dramatically increasing its available space. Currently, the three-car team occupies a 40,000-square foot building near the Concord Regional Airport.

Joe Nemechek's team will be housed in a new shop in July. Credit: Autostock

General manager Jay Frye said the team would close on a warehouse building in Mooresville, N.C. in March, with hopes of completing the move in July. Once finished, the new building would be 144,000 square feet.

"We're surrounded by Roush," Frye said jokingly. "So it's time to get out."

"We think we got a great deal on the building, it's in a great location, it's a good investment. We look at it as a diamond in the rough. It'll take us about three months to fix it up, but at the end of the day, we'll be set. We won't have to look for space for a long time."

The nomenclature of the teams may be confusing to some, but here's an easy explanation: MB2 is the original team, founded in 1996, and exists as Joe Nemechek's No. 01 Chevrolet.

In 2000, the team acquired the former Tyler Jet Motorsports operation, and in partnership with Valvoline, renamed it MBV. Scott Riggs drives that car, No. 10.

This year, the team entered into a partnership with Centrix Financial and owner Bob Sutton. Hence, the MB/Sutton team with Said.

Scott Riggs said he thinks he understands some of the reasoning behind NASCAR's decision to eliminate Happy Hour and impound the cars after qualifying. Some tracks are eliminating Friday's normal qualifying day and will instead run on Saturday and Sunday only.

"The hidden agenda of a two-day show is they'll feel better about having some more races on the schedule," Riggs said. "That's the hidden agenda."

But France denied such an agenda.

"Are we doing that to add two new events? Or one new event? No," France said. "That's not on our thinking at all. We're really just trying to save as much cost as we possibly can."

Said on why Centrix Financial, a company that sometimes loans money to people with not-so-perfect credit, hired him to drive: "They see value when other people don't."

Said on making the Daytona 500: "I'm sure there are 43 other guys who are scared to death I'll be on the track with them."

Joe Nemechek on Said's frequent phone calls asking for advice: "The last time he called for advice, he only made four laps at Kentucky. We had a lot of sheet metal for charity." To which Said responded: "I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night, so I should be smarter."

Mark Martin on expanding on his quotes from Daytona last week on the restructuring of the top 10 from 2004: "Tell me more about what I said."