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

"I knew Bill for more than 17 years, so I know he would have wanted us to get right back to work to help promote the sport he loved. We will carry on, but we'll do so with heavy hearts [and] miss him tremendously."

Michael Waltrip, Darrell's younger brother who's been a competitor at NASCAR's highest level for more than 20 years, in the last year displayed a goodly chunk of the France family's entrepreneurial spirit when he launched the current version of Michael Waltrip Racing.

"When Bill France Sr. passed the torch to Bill Jr., some people were skeptical," Michael Waltrip said. "But wow, did Bill Jr. prove he was the right man for the job.

"Mr. France's leadership launched NASCAR into a national mainstay as he consistently demonstrated the iron-willed leadership qualities of his father.

"Through all the amazing accomplishments in Bill Jr.'s incredible career as our leader, I know his greatest legacy will be the influence he left with his children, Brian and Lesa, as they lead us into the future.

"Mr. France may be gone, but his leadership will be felt every day there is a sport called NASCAR. And all of us competitors are thankful for that."

"It's just sad," two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart said. "You look at what he's been able to do in the time he's been with NASCAR and obviously learning from his father -- there aren't enough words to describe what he's meant to this sport and what he's done for it."

For some in the sport, France's passing was akin to losing a piece of themselves, as Rusty Wallace, another former champion from France's era, noted.

"I knew this day was coming, I just hoped it never would," Wallace said. "Mr. France was definitely old school just like I was. I considered him a great personal friend and mentor who gave me a lot of advice on things on and off the track.

"He was influential on my decision to retire. I remember him saying, 'Hey Wallace. You've accomplished everything in the world. How much longer do you have to push it?'"

Wallace, for one, knew exactly what France and his family's legacy means to him.

"Without him creating NASCAR and making this wonderful sport for many thousands of people," Wallace said, "I would have still been a newspaper delivery boy and vacuum-cleaner repairman living in St. Louis.

"Fortunately, when Bill became sick he had already begun transferring the leadership of NASCAR and making sure the right people were in place. It shocked the NASCAR community when Mike Helton was named president of NASCAR because we all thought that Bill was going to rule with an iron fist forever.

"Bill put everything in place and I think he's got NASCAR on a railroad track for success. Obviously, this sport is going to miss him dearly. I hope that nobody considers this a weak point in the sport because he wouldn't want that and Mike Helton is far from weak.

"He's a domineering personality like Bill France Jr. was and I think [NASCAR is] in great shape. Mr. France had one agenda -- create an entertaining sport for fans, drivers and owners [and] I hope that it continues to run with that same mentality." (Continued)