Steve O’Donnell is the new Chairman and CEO of NASCAR after Jim France has stepped down
Last week, Jim France stepped down as Chairman and CEO of NASCAR. France held the position since 2019. In his place, Steve O’Donnell takes the head chair.
The CEO change was announced ahead of the race weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. O’Donnell is now the first person outside of the France family to hold the position.
Ben Kennedy, son of Lesa France Kennedy has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. But, there’s since been a lot more movement on the executive team.
Here’s what the NASCAR executive team looks like as of April 30, 2026:
Steve O’Donnell
Chief Executive Officer
Ben Kennedy
Chief Operating Officer
Tim Clark
Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer
Brian Herbst
Executive Vice President and Chief Media and Revenue Officer
Amanda Oliver
Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer
Scott Prime
Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer
Greg Motto
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Ed Bennett
Executive Vice President and Chief Administration Officer and CEO, IMSA
John Probst
President of NASCAR Event Management (NEM)
Laura Jackson
Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer
Nicole Haves
Vice President and Chief of Staff
