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NASCAR promotes Mike Helton and Brent Dewar

Changes coming to sanctioning body.

Brian France, chairman & CEO of NASCAR, and Mike Helton, president of NASCAR

Brian France, chairman & CEO of NASCAR, and Mike Helton, president of NASCAR

Action Sports Photography

Lesa France Kennedy, Brian France and Betty Jane France
NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett talks with NASCAR President Mike Helton
Team Gordon: Robby Gordon and GM's Brent Dewar at SEMA 2005
Hendrick Motorsports re-signs with Chevrolet: Casey Mears, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet's Brent Dewar, Ed Peper, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon
Race winner and 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup series champion Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet accepts the Sprint Cup from NASCAR President Mike Helton
Championship victory lane: 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, Penske Racing Dodge celebrates with Brian France
Eddie and Len Wood with Trevor Bayne and NASCAR CEO and chairman Brian France and Joie Chitwood III, DIS president
Tony Stewart, Stewart-Haas Racing and Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO
Championship victory lane: 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, Penske Racing Dodge celebrates with Brian France
Mike Helton, and Brian France
NASCAR President Mike Helton and NASCAR CEO and Chairman Brian France
NASCAR President Mike Helton with NASCAR CEO and Chairman Brian France

NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian France announced on Monday that Mike Helton has been elevated to Vice Chairman of NASCAR.

Chief Operating Officer Brent Dewar has been added to the NASCAR Board of Directors. He joins Helton, Jim France, Lesa France Kennedy, Brian France and Gary Crotty (NASCAR’s General Counsel).

The promotions take effect immediately.

Helton was named NASCAR President in 2000. He joined the sanctioning body in 1994. According to the release, Helton “will remain the senior NASCAR official at all national series racing events overseeing competition, work closely with France on long-term strategic planning and represent NASCAR in a wide-range of roles to further grow the sport.”

Since joining NASCAR a year ago, Dewar has become an integral part of management team. Dewar, a long-time General Motors employee, has been given a greater role with the daily operations of racing development.

Brent’s operational expertise already has made a big impact and his understanding of how our sport works from multiple perspectives will bring immediate value to how we operate and future initiatives.

Brian France

“Mike Helton’s steady hand and decades of experience in every facet of our business have made him a close, trusted advisor to me and my family and his overall impact on NASCAR cannot be overstated,” France said in the release. “With a strong team ready to take on more day-to-day management responsibilities, I’m pleased to now have Mike in a role that will allow us to utilize his unique skills in advancing key priorities for the future of the industry.

“Adding someone as talented and experienced as Brent Dewar to our board will be highly beneficial to our company and the industry overall. Brent’s operational expertise already has made a big impact and his understanding of how our sport works from multiple perspectives will bring immediate value to how we operate and future initiatives.”

The big picture

The released added that the latest moves “are part of a long-term strategic plan spearheaded by France to strengthen NASCAR’s senior leadership team and broaden the responsibility for key areas of the business”.

The shift come one year after Steve Phelps and Steve O’Donnell both moved to Charlotte from New York and Daytona, respectively. Phelps was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing while O’Donnell was named Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer in an effort to offer “more direct oversight of key business area”, the release stated.

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