To the best fans in sports,
I don‘t like being in the news. No one who works for NASCAR should like being in the news. We‘re not the story. Our racing heroes are.
So yesterday, I hope your attention was focused on Andy Jankowiak winning the ARCA race in a wild finish at Talladega Superspeedway. Or Corey Day‘s thrilling first victory in the NASCAR O‘Reilly Auto Parts Series race.
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But amid all the deserved coverage devoted to yesterday‘s on-track activity, you may have seen some personnel shifts here at NASCAR.
Specifically, I have been given the honor of leading NASCAR as its newest CEO. In addition, Ben Kennedy has been named NASCAR‘s Chief Operating Officer.
Before anything else, I want to say thank you to Jim France. Jim is a racer through and through. He‘s led NASCAR with passion, steadiness, and a deep love for this sport during some of the most challenging and important years in our history. We‘re all better because of his leadership.
We have much work ahead of us. I say ‘we‘ because I cannot do this alone. I‘m lucky to have a fantastic group working with me, and the best team of consultants in the world — you, the race fan. Your voice will be as important as ever.
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I am fired up.
I am fired up for what‘s ahead …
For the green flag to wave on Talladega … for the Coca-Cola 600, and Memorial Day Weekend in the greatest country in the world … for cars and trucks to roar past aircraft carriers in San Diego … for a Cup Series points race at North Wilkesboro 30 years in the making … for The Chase, and the championship dreams for a special 16 — or 12 or 10 –drivers … for Homestead and those dreams becoming reality under a warm South Florida sky … and for a future the will be shaped by you, for you, the race fan.
This is my 31st season at NASCAR. But my promise to you is that I will wake up each morning like it‘s Day 1 — energized to preserve and grow the sport we all love so much.
Let‘s go.
Steve O‘Donnell
CEO, NASCAR
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