Bill France Jr. left impact on people as well as business (cont'd)

"He's one of those giants -- very intimidating to me. I didn't know him well, but my dad was close with him and I know that made my dad very, very proud to get close to someone that not a lot of others did.

"Mr. France was the backbone of our sport. He was a true friend to the Earnhardt family, and someone I always looked up to. We will do our part in continuing his legacy, racing hard and putting on a good show for the fans.

Bill France Jr. and Dale Earnhardt at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November 1999.

"I think that's what he would want us to do."

One way France's impact can be measured is by the impromptu "university" he created, in partnership with longtime Cup Series sponsor R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, in grooming men who've gone on to preside over a variety of motorsports facilities.

"Having had the opportunity to learn how to operate a motorsports facility under the tutelage of Bill France Jr. was certainly one of the most impact things in my life," Talladega Superspeedway president and ISC executive Grant Lynch said. "His work ethic, wide range of knowledge and attention to detail are things I try to apply in business, as well as everyday life.

"His passing is a tremendous loss to the NASCAR community, as we have lost not only our leader and a pioneer of the sport, but also our friend."

Bristol Motor Speedway president Jeff Byrd worked with Lynch at RJR, and also had a lengthy career involvement with France.

"It is hard to imagine where NASCAR would be right now without the leadership of Bill France Jr.," Byrd said. "He was the right man for the time, as was his father, Bill Sr., and his son, Brian.

"I worked with Bill Jr. as a journalist at The Winston-Salem Journal, as a sponsor, in my years with R.J. Reynolds and as a promoter here at Bristol Motor Speedway.

"We shared a lot of laughs and some disagreements. I don't think that's any different than anyone else who dealt with him. The one thing about Bill Jr. that you could take to the bank was you never had to guess where you stood.

"He had a passion for this business and had done everything in it in his lifetime from selling tickets to running the whole shooting match. And never during that time, in my 30-plus years of our working relationship, did I ever wonder where he stood on a matter -- even when we didn't agree -- and there's something to be said for that."

Through everything the sport endured in its period of intense growth, it also maintained a family presence. Leonard Wood, with his brother Glen a patriarch of the famed Wood Brothers racing team and a charter NASCAR organization, both witnessed that and shared it.

"Bill France and the Wood Brothers have had a friendship for years," Leonard said. "He always spoke with authority. You knew where you stood with him.

"If you had a legitimate complaint, he'd go to bat for you. At the same time, he'd stay on top of you to make sure you didn't tell him something that wasn't true. He wasn't somebody you could run over.

"I remember one time when I told him about something, and he said I should try to look at it from his end. That made me realize how big this whole thing is. I don't think any of us would be here today without him."

Richmond International Raceway president Doug Fritz's career has blossomed virtually under France's wing for nearly the past two decades.

"Words can't describe the impact Bill France Jr. had on our sport," Fritz said. "From the millions of NASCAR fans to those of us who make our livelihood in NASCAR, we all have Bill to thank for his vision and leadership. (Continued)