France Family Voted Newsmaker of the Half-Century by AARWBA Members: The France Family, whose vision and leadership turned NASCAR stock car racing from a loosely-organized Southern-based attraction into the country’s second-most popular sport, Saturday was named Newsmaker of the Half-Century by the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association during the annual AARWBA members breakfast. Newsmaker of the Half-Century, determined by vote of AARWBA members, is the most important event of AARWBA’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. AARWBA is the country’s oldest and largest organization of motorsports media professionals. The France family received 28.5 percent of the vote among 12 nominees for the award. A record number of AARWBA members participated, according to President Dusty Brandel. The Hulman-George family, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and responsible for building the Indy 500 into the world’s largest single-day sporting spectacle, finished second in the voting with 26.3 percent. The two families combined to capture almost 55 percent of the total vote. Lesa France Kennedy, president of International Speedway Corp, was present for the announcement. She accepted a specially commissioned painting, by artist Hector Cademartori, depicting the family’s 50 years of achievement from Brandel and AARWBA 50th Anniversary Celebration Chairman Michael Knight. AARWBA also will donate $1,000 to Speediactrics at the Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Fla., in honor of the France family. Mario Andretti was third in the voting, with 8.2 percent. Roger Penske and the late Dale Earnhardt tied for fourth, each with 6.7 percent. Also nominated were: Kenny Bernstein, John Force, A.J. Foyt, Jeff Gordon, Dan Gurney, Wally Parks and Richard Petty. To learn more about AARWBA, please visit the AARWBA.org web site.(AARWBA)(5-31-2005)
