“Bill, Jr. was one of my dearest friends and for everyone that knew him and for any fan of NASCAR, this is a very sad time,” said Felix Sabates. “Bill, Jr. gets a lot of credit for where NASCAR is today – and he certainly deserves it, but what a lot of people don’t realize is that he was also a mentor to a number of us. One of the most valuable things that he taught me was to never take anything personal and I have never forgotten that. I always enjoyed the time that I spent with him. We lost a great man and even a better friend. My heart goes out to Betty Jane, Brian, Lesa and the whole France family.”

“This is a very sad day for NASCAR and all of auto racing because we lost a very great man,” said Chip Ganassi. “Bill France, Jr. WAS NASCAR and gave everything he had to this sport. He will be sorely missed and my thoughts and prayers go out to the whole France family.”