III 110th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 229 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 7, 2007 Mr. Nelson of Florida (for himself and Mr. Martinez) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Honoring Willliam Clifton France.

Whereas William Clifton France, NASCAR patriarch and visionary, was born on April 4, 1933, in Washington, DC; Whereas Mr. France grew up in the formative years of stock car racing, living and learning every detail of the sport from his own experiences and those of his father, William Henry Getty France, known as Big Bill because of his 6-foot-5 stature, who was the founder and first president of NASCAR; Whereas, in 1972, William Clifton France replaced his father and became the second president of the world’s largest auto-racing sanctioning body; Whereas, during the 28-year tenure of Mr. France as president, and later chairman and chief executive officer, of NASCAR, NASCAR grew from a sport with regional appeal to draw more than 75,000,000 fans yearly and become the second-most popular sport on television in the United States; Whereas Mr. France worked in every role in stock car racing, from flagging events to scoring, promoting, serving as a steward, and even racing a few times in the 1950s; Whereas, before being named president of NASCAR, Mr. France served for 6 years as vice president of the organization; Whereas, in addition to his NASCAR duties, Mr. France served as chairman of the board of International Speedway Corporation, which oversees Daytona International Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway, and other racing facilities around the country, and served as a director of the National Motorsports Council of ACCUS–FIA; and Whereas Mr. France was a visionary and served the motorsports industry with great distinction: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate extends its condolences to Mrs. Betty Jane France, Lesa France Kennedy, Brian France, and the entire France Family.