NASCAR, as we all know, started out with booze-runners during prohibition. It’s changed a lot since then, but the man in charge evidently still thinks that drinking and driving go hand in hand.
According to Motorsport.com and TMZ (in the video below), NASCAR’s chairman and CEO Brian France was arrested over the weekend when he ran a stop sign in his Lexus.
He reportedly failed a field sobriety test, with a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit, and to make matters worse, was found in possession of a controlled substance, namely Oxycodone pills, an opiod pain-relief medication classified as a Schedule II narcotic.
France took over in 2003 as chief executive of the stock-car racing series founded by his grandfather. Bill France, Sr, and previously run by his father Bill Jr. Brian worked his way up the ranks over the years, managing a few short tracks before taking over the company’s entertainment division, then joining the board of directors and serving as executive vice-president under his father before taking the helm.
Brian France has been placed on a leave of absence following the arrest, which took place in Sag Harbor, New York, in the swanky Hamptons area on Long Island. In the meantime, his uncle Jim France has taken over as interim chairman and CEO, having served for decades on the board in various capacities, including as president.
NASCAR has taken a hard line when it comes to substance abuse among its drivers, most recently banning Xfinity series driver Spencer Gallagher after he failed a drug test.