Mike Helton Joins France Family Party, Becomes NASCAR's Third President

• In late 1999, Bill France Jr. could have chosen his own son, Brian France, to lead the series, but instead chose the more seasoned Mike Helton.

• During his tenure in NASCAR management, Helton became known throughout the sport for his imposing size and an extremely bushy mustache, but he also was known for relative fairness in making decisions.

• Arguably the most notable day of Helton’s career was also one of the sport’s most tragic.

When NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. decided he needed help to run the sanctioning body, he didn’t have to look far—but with one unique twist.

From its founding in 1948 through 2000, a France family member had led the sport, beginning with NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. (also known as “Big Bill), followed by his son Bill Jr. (aka “Little Bill).

Bill Jr. could have chosen his own son, Brian, to lead the series, but instead chose the more seasoned Helton. As it turned out, Brian France would succeed his father as CEO and chairman of NASCAR in 2003 until he was forced to resign in 2018 following a traffic stop led to his arrest for DUI and possession of oxycodone.

Helton, meanwhile, went from humble beginnings growing up in Bristol, Virginia, to become one of the most powerful men in the sport, first as NASCAR’s Chief Operating Officer in February 1999, and then 21 months later in November 1999, he was anointed as the sport’s third president.

After leaving college, Helton served as an accountant, as well as a high school football and basketball referee in and around the Bristol area. That led to his becoming sports director of a Bristol radio station, where he covered all types of sports but took especially to coverage of NASCAR racing with so many venues such as Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, North Carolina International Speedway, Darlington Raceway and others within relatively short driving distance.

Helton would network heavily with NASCAR officials and was finally rewarded when he was hired as public relations director of Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1980, and eventually the track’s general manager in 1985. He would not be in that role very long, being promoted to join the administrative team at Daytona Motor Speedway in 1986. Again, his tenure there was relatively short-lived, as Helton took over as track general manager at one of NASCAR’s premier venues, Talladega Superspeedway, in 1987. Two years later, he was promoted to track president, while at the same time adding duties as vice president of NASCAR’s parent organization, International Speedway Corporation.

Helton returned to Daytona as NASCAR’s vice president of competition in 1994, was promoted to senior vice president and chief operating officer in February 1999, leading to his ascension the following year as NASCAR president and to become one of NASCAR’s five-member board of directors, a spot he still retains.

Helton was also elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in the Class of 2023.

During his tenure in NASCAR management, Helton became known throughout the sport for his imposing size and an extremely bushy mustache, but he also was known for relative fairness in making decisions that were in the best interest of the sport, not showing favoritism to any one team, driver, owner, track or group (although some critics might argue with that).

Arguably the most notable day of Helton’s career was also one of the sport’s most tragic: it was Helton who stood in front of countless TV cameras and microphones and uttered the fateful words, “We’ve lost Dale Earnhardt,” sadly announcing to the world that the sport’s biggest superstar, Dale Earnhardt, had perished in a last-lap crash in the season-opening Daytona 500 on February 18, 2001.

Helton is now somewhat in semi-retirement, although he still maintains the title of NASCAR Vice Chairman and oversees competition of the sport’s three main series—NASCAR Cup, Xfinity Series and Truck Series—as well as remains a board member.

Follow Autoweek correspondent Jerry Bonkowski on Twitter @JerryBonkowski