Former NASCAR CEO Brian France Faces Possible License Suspension, Year in Jail

Former NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France may face a one-year suspension of his driver’s license and up to a year in jail after his arrest Sunday evening in Southampton, New York, for aggravated driving while intoxicated and possession of oxycodone. The now-former exec already has stepped down from his position with NASCAR and Jim France has been named the interim Chairman and CEO.

“Brian France has taken an indefinite leave of absence from NASCAR as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,” read a statement issued by NASCAR on Monday. "Effective immediately, NASCAR Vice Chairman and Executive President Jim France has assumed the role of interim Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.”

Jim France, Brian France’s uncle, has been a member on NASCAR’s Board of Directors since 2000.

Brian France’s 2017 Lexus was pulled over when he ran a stop sign while heading northbound on Main Street. His blood-alcohol level was 0.19, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 in the state of New York, and a search of his car produced five pills that were discovered to be acetaminophen and oxycodone hydrochloride.

France’s court date has been set for September 14, 2018.

NASCAR has a Road to Recovery program to assist competitors who have violated the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy. If a competitor successfully completes the program while serving an indefinite suspension as a result of a violation of the policy, his or her eligibility to compete in NASCAR is typically reinstated. France is responsible for the implementation of the Road to Recovery program.