NASCAR Names Steve O’Donnell as Chief Executive Officer; Ben Kennedy as Chief Operating Officer
Jim France Remains Chairman with Lesa France Kennedy Continuing as Executive Vice Chair
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (April 25, 2026) – NASCAR today announced pivotal leadership changes with its Board of Directors naming Steve O’Donnell as Chief Executive Officer and Ben Kennedy as Chief Operating Officer, positioning the sport for its next phase of growth and innovation. These planned transitions follow a period of sustained momentum and business strength for NASCAR, driven by multi-year media rights agreements, long-term charter extensions and robust partner relationships.
Effective immediately, O’Donnell becomes the first non-France family member to serve as CEO in NASCAR’s 78-year history. He assumes all strategic and operational leadership for NASCAR, its affiliated racing series and businesses. Kennedy, in his expanded role as Chief Operating Officer, will oversee several core business functions, including the addition of NASCAR’s competition department, alongside his current leadership of track and event operations, racing innovation, hospitality, and venue strategy. Jim France, who served as NASCAR Chairman and CEO since 2018 where he oversaw nearly a decade of innovation and steady growth, will remain as Chairman of NASCAR’s Board of Directors. Lesa France Kennedy also continues as Executive Vice Chair and NASCAR’s Board of Directors remains unchanged.
“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,” said NASCAR Chairman Jim France. “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.”
As CEO, O’Donnell will focus on advancing NASCAR’s vision as one of the world’s premier sports and entertainment brands. Previously serving as NASCAR’s sixth President, O’Donnell is one of the sport’s longest tenured and respected executives with more than 30 years of service across competition, operations, marketing and business functions – from grassroots racing through the NASCAR Cup Series. He will also lead the development and execution of multi year strategic plans, financial and performance benchmarks, succession planning, as well as NASCAR’s next media rights and evolving content distribution strategies.
“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,” said NASCAR Chief Executive Officer Steve O’Donnell. “I have devoted nearly my entire l 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.”
With Ben Kennedy’s elevation to NASCAR’s Chief Operating Officer, he will oversee a range of business- and competition-critical functions, including the addition of Competition led by John Probst. Probst will report to Kennedy, who began his NASCAR career on the Competition team as General Manager of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Kennedy will also continue to oversee the creation of NASCAR’s highly anticipated annual schedule, a key driver of marquee events that expand NASCAR’s reach and introduce the sport to new audiences while honoring its most beloved racing traditions that have delivered many iconic sports moments.
Notes to the editor
About Jim France
Jim France is Chairman of NASCAR after serving as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since August 2018.
France grew up in the early years of stock car racing, living and learning every detail of the sport from his own experiences, and from his father Bill France Sr., the founder and first president of NASCAR. He also received guidance and direction from his mother, Anne B. France, and older brother Bill Jr., NASCAR’s former president, chairman and CEO.
Joining ISC in 1959, France worked in all phases of operations in his early years with the company.
He was elected to the International Speedway Corporation (ISC) board in 1970 and served as the company’s secretary, assistant treasurer, vice president, chief operating officer, executive vice president, president and chairman.
France has been involved in motorsports most of his life. In addition to stock cars, he has also been a strong supporter of both sports car and motorcycle racing in the United States, evident by his professional involvement in those sports. In 1999, he founded GRAND-AM Road Racing; in 2012, he was the driving force behind the merger of GRAND-AM and the American Le Mans Series, which began operation as one entity in 2014 in what is now known as the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA).
He served as starter for the U.S. Motorcycle Grand Prix in the late 1960s, raced on dirt tracks for nearly five years and has been a member of the American Motorcyclist Association for almost 26 years. In addition, France has raced karts on both dirt and asphalt.
France has served as a board member for ACCUS (Automobile Competition Committee of the United States). France was on active duty in the U.S. Army from 1969-1970, serving in Vietnam.
France was born and raised in Daytona Beach, Fla., where he currently resides. He graduated from local Seabreeze High School and attended Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Fla., earning a business degree in 1968.
About Steve O’Donnell
Steve O’Donnell was appointed CEO of NASCAR in April 2026 after being named President in March of 2025. O’Donnell is only the fifth CEO in NASCAR’s 78-year history and the first non-France Family member to hold the position since the organization’s founding 1948. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., O’Donnell is responsible for the day-to-day leadership of all NASCAR and IMSA Series, including all NASCAR commercial, media and track operations, in addition to its four international series and multiple regional and grassroots properties.
Prior to being appointed President, O’Donnell most recently held the role of Chief Operating Officer. In that role, he oversaw multiple departments within the company related to Competition with an emphasis on positioning NASCAR and its state-of-the-art Research & Development Center as a leader in innovation, technology and product relevance. In addition, he also led all NASCAR-owned track properties, track presidents and respective events, as well as International development, medical, security, membership and registration areas of the business.
Under his purview, O’Donnell has helped elevate the fan event experience at NASCAR’s race tracks, which include some of the world’s top venues such as Daytona International Speedway.
O’Donnell has directed or guided vital innovative advancements, including the introduction of the Gen-6 NASCAR Cup Series race car, the current Next Gen car (7th generation) and and the implementation of the Chase playoff format for all three of NASCAR’s national series.
He is also a member of the company’s Executive Council and holds positions on the NASCAR Hall of Fame nominating committee and voting panel.
A true example of rising through the ranks, O’Donnell has worked in various areas in the company since joining NASCAR in 1996 as a marketing services representative. After being promoted to manage that group – including work on NASCAR’s 50th Anniversary project – he was elevated to Director of Series Marketing. From there, he moved to Competition as Managing Director of Events and Operations to head the All-American Series and Touring Series before being promoted to Vice President of Racing Operations in charge of the national series. In 2008, he was named to Sports Business Journal’s prestigious “Forty Under 40” list.
About Ben Kennedy
Ben Kennedy is the Chief Operating Officer for NASCAR. Prior to that he served as Chief Events & Venues Officer overseeing strategic initiatives, including all of NASCAR’s owned facilities, future innovation for the sport’s continued growth, and the annual development of NASCAR’s national series race schedules.
Kennedy was the architect behind the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series race schedule, widely acknowledged as the most dynamic new schedule the sport has seen in decades. Since then, he has led efforts to bring NASCAR racing to city centers, including the Busch Light Clash at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, the first-ever Chicago Street Race, the Cup Series first-ever international race (Mexico City) and this year’s San Diego Steet Race at Naval Base Coronado – another first for the sport.
Previously, Kennedy served as Senior Vice President of Racing Development and Strategy, and prior to that, Vice President, Racing Operations where he led domestic and international operations for the auto racing sanctioning body. In 2018, Kennedy served as General Manager of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series where he provided oversight across multiple disciplines specific to the series, including competition, broadcasting, marketing and communications.
Kennedy, the great-grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., and son of NASCAR Executive Vice Chair Lesa France Kennedy, is a fourth-generation leader from the NASCAR-founding France family. He brings experience to the organization from previous roles as both a driver and team owner.
Kennedy began his racing career in 2009 behind the wheel of a four-horsepower quarter midget at a small track in New Smyrna Beach, Fla. Most recently, he raced in what is now the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for Richard Childress Racing and GMS Racing. Kennedy also competed fulltime in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series from 2014-2016, earning his first win and series playoff berth in 2016.
Enjoying success at the touring series level, Kennedy etched his name in the record books in 2012, when he won the first oval race in NASCAR Whelen Euro Series history at Tours Speedway, just outside of Paris, France.
In 2023, Kennedy was honored as a Sports Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” and was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame with the Award of Distinction for his work in bringing the unprecedented Chicago Street Race to the city.
Kennedy received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and is currently a team owner in the ARCA Menards Series. He resides in Florida and is based out of both the Daytona Beach and uptown Charlotte offices.
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About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 15 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Local Racing Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.
For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X and Facebook.
Contact:
Eric Ryan
NASCAR Communications
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