From grandmother Anne Bledsoe France to
uncle Jim, son Ben and brother Brian, NASCAR
has always been—and remains— “the family
business” to Lesa France Kennedy.
Indelible memories
Kennedy had a front-row seat to the
rapid growth of NASCAR, and she clearly
recalls some key events that fueled that growth.
“One of the most exciting memories I have is of
President Reagan and Air Force One landing right
behind the track at Daytona. It looked like the plane
was going to land right on the Superstretch,” she
recalled. “President Reagan was there for Richard
Petty’s 200th career victory and final race. That is a
family and career highlight. You can’t replicate it.”
demographics have changed. When I was younger, it
was a much more male-dominated sport. More than
40 percent of our fans are now women. That is very
different than when I was growing up.”
Constantly improving the experience for fans of all ages
is Kennedy’s goal as CEO of ISC. Under her leadership,
the organization has undertaken
an expansive program of
track improvements.
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next page)
When asked about the biggest change she’s
seen growing up with the sport, Kennedy
named two. “It was a motorsports
experience, and now it is a complete
family fun experience. Also, the
FALL 2017
Photo used with permission from the Daytona Beach News-Journal
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