NASCAR President France Has Cancer

.c The Associated Press

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 20) — Bill France Jr., the president of NASCAR since
1972, told his employees Monday that he has cancer.

France, 66, is seeking further medical opinion. His family, which has requested
privacy in the matter, will not say what kind of cancer he has, NASCAR
spokesman Tim Sullivan said.

"The doctors have told me the illness is treatable,” France said. "I am
anxious to begin treatment and get on with the recovery.”

France is the son of William Henry Getty France, who founded NASCAR in 1948 and
who ran the stock car sanctioning body until handing over control to his son 27
years ago.

"My father is in good spirits,” said Brian France, who serves as NASCAR’s
senior vice president.

France suffered a mild heart attack in 1997 while in Japan for a NASCAR
exhibition race.

Last February, he turned over some of his day-to-day responsibilities to Mike
Helton, saying he was ready to slow down a bit. Helton was promoted from vice
president of competition to senior vice president and chief operating officer.

However, France "still has an active role in this company. He still is in this
office every day,” Sullivan reiterated Monday.

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