Introduction
Ben Kennedy is an American motorsports executive and former professional stock-car racing driver. He is best known for winning in the NASCAR Truck Series and later moving into senior leadership within the sport.
In April 2026, Kennedy was appointed chief operating officer of NASCAR. His role includes responsibility for major parts of NASCAR’s competition, venues, racing operations and long-term development. The appointment marked another major step in his journey from race-car driver to sports-business leader.
Kennedy is also a member of the France family, which founded NASCAR. However, his professional experience is not limited to his family background. He raced on short tracks, competed in two NASCAR national series, owned racing teams and worked through several management positions before becoming COO.
Readers interested in similar topics can explore more NASCAR and motorsport coverage and sports leadership stories on WriteBlog.
Ben Kennedy Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Benjamin Kennedy |
| Public name | Ben Kennedy |
| Date of birth | 26 December 1991 |
| Age | 34 years old, as of August 2026 |
| Birthplace | Daytona Beach, Florida, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | NASCAR executive and former racing driver |
| Current position | Chief Operating Officer of NASCAR |
| Education | Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management |
| University | University of Florida |
| Graduation year | 2014 |
| Major racing victory | 2016 NASCAR Truck Series race at Bristol |
| Major racing honour | 2014 Truck Series Rookie of the Year |
| Famous for | Racing career, NASCAR leadership and schedule innovation |
Who Is Ben Kennedy?
Ben Kennedy is a former NASCAR driver who now helps manage the organisation behind America’s leading stock-car racing series.
He was born on 26 December 1991 and grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida. Daytona is one of the most important cities in NASCAR history and is home to Daytona International Speedway.
Kennedy is the great-grandson of Bill France Sr., who founded NASCAR in 1948. His mother, Lesa France Kennedy, has also held major leadership positions within NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation.
Although he grew up close to the sport, Kennedy gained experience in several different areas. He worked ordinary summer jobs at Daytona International Speedway, competed as a professional driver and later learned the business and management sides of racing.
Family Background
Ben Kennedy belongs to NASCAR’s founding France family.
His mother is Lesa France Kennedy, a senior motorsports executive. She has served as executive vice chairperson of NASCAR and previously led International Speedway Corporation.
His late father, Dr. Bruce Kennedy, was a physician. He died in a plane crash in 2007.
Kennedy’s great-grandfather, Bill France Sr., established NASCAR. His grandfather, Bill France Jr., later helped expand the organisation and turn it into a nationally recognised sport.
Other publicly known family members involved in NASCAR include Jim France and former NASCAR chairman Brian France.
This family history gave Kennedy early access to motorsport. However, he also built personal experience through racing, education and operational work.
Childhood and Early Experience
Kennedy spent much of his childhood around racetracks. He attended races and observed how NASCAR events were organised.
As a teenager, he completed several basic jobs at Daytona International Speedway. His duties included collecting tickets, directing vehicles, cleaning areas and working at the Daytona 500 Experience.
These roles allowed him to see how much work happens behind the scenes at a major sporting event.
Kennedy later explained that the experience helped him respect the employees, officials and event workers who make race weekends possible. It also introduced him to different parts of the motorsport business before he entered senior management.
Education
Ben Kennedy studied Sport Management at the University of Florida.
He graduated in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree while also competing in NASCAR. His studies covered areas connected to sport operations, business, management and event organisation.
Kennedy also gained media experience through an internship with NBC Sports. His work included supporting communications activities during NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics.
The University of Florida later recognised him as an Outstanding Young Alumnus. He was also included among its 2022 40 Gators Under 40 honorees.
The university describes him as a leader who helped transform NASCAR’s racing schedules and introduced new venues and event formats. Readers can view his official University of Florida alumni profile.
Beginning of His Racing Career
Kennedy began racing on short tracks before entering NASCAR’s regional competition system.
He joined what was then known as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2010. The series gave developing drivers an opportunity to compete at a high level before moving into NASCAR’s national divisions.
In 2012, Kennedy achieved an important international victory at Tours Speedway in France. He won the first oval race held in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.
His 2013 season became one of the strongest parts of his early career. He won two races, finished fourth in the championship standings and received the series’ Most Popular Driver Award.
Kennedy also made his NASCAR Truck Series debut during the 2013 season.
NASCAR Truck Series Career
Kennedy entered his first full NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season in 2014.
He drove the No. 31 Chevrolet for Turner Scott Motorsports. The season included several competitive performances, although he also faced mechanical problems and difficult results.
Kennedy remained inside the top ten in the championship standings throughout the season. He finished the year with seven top-ten results in 22 races.
His consistency earned him the 2014 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award.
He moved to Red Horse Racing for the 2015 season and later joined GMS Racing during 2016.
Historic Bristol Victory
The biggest victory of Kennedy’s driving career came at Bristol Motor Speedway on 17 August 2016.
Kennedy passed William Byron with approximately 20 laps remaining. He then survived a late restart and held off Brett Moffitt to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.
It was his first victory in a NASCAR national series. The result also made him the first member of the France family to win a NASCAR national-series race.
The victory qualified Kennedy for the Truck Series playoffs. He completed the 2016 season in seventh position in the championship standings.
Across his Truck Series career, Kennedy recorded:
| Racing statistic | Total |
|---|---|
| Race starts | 73 |
| Victories | 1 |
| Top-five finishes | 10 |
| Top-ten finishes | 26 |
| Pole positions | 1 |
| Best championship result | Seventh in 2016 |
NASCAR Xfinity Series Career
Kennedy made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Iowa Speedway in 2016.
He drove for Richard Childress Racing and finished tenth in his first Xfinity race. He later competed for Richard Childress Racing and GMS Racing during a larger schedule in 2017.
His best Xfinity Series result was fourth place at Talladega Superspeedway.
Kennedy completed 17 Xfinity starts and earned three top-ten results. He did not compete in a NASCAR Cup Series race as a driver.
His final professional racing appearances came during the 2017 season.
Experience as a Racing-Team Owner
Kennedy also operated Ben Kennedy Racing.
His organisation competed in NASCAR regional and developmental racing. Running a team helped him understand the financial, technical and operational challenges faced by team owners.
Kennedy has said that his time as both a driver and team owner gave him a broader view of motorsport.
He learned that drivers, officials, broadcasters, sponsors, track employees and team owners may have different responsibilities, but they all work together to produce a successful race.
Move into NASCAR Management
Kennedy moved into NASCAR management after completing his professional driving career.
In 2018, he became general manager of the NASCAR Truck Series. The role allowed him to use his recent experience as a competitor while learning how a national racing series is managed.
In 2019, he moved into racing operations and international development.
NASCAR promoted him to vice president of racing development in 2020. During that period, Kennedy helped reorganise racing schedules affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
NASCAR used midweek races, doubleheaders and adjusted event dates to complete its national schedules.
Kennedy later served as senior vice president of strategy and innovation and senior vice president of racing development and strategy.
His responsibilities expanded to include racing operations, national-series schedules, industry relations and new event development.
Changing the NASCAR Schedule
One of Ben Kennedy’s most important contributions has been changing where and how NASCAR holds races.
For many years, the NASCAR schedule remained largely predictable. Kennedy helped introduce new venues while also supporting the return of traditional tracks.
Major projects connected to his leadership include:
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
NASCAR constructed a temporary short track inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the Clash exhibition event.
The unusual project allowed NASCAR to hold a race inside a historic stadium and reach fans in a major city.
Chicago Street Race
Kennedy helped develop NASCAR’s first Cup Series street race.
The event used public roads in downtown Chicago rather than a permanent racing circuit. It represented a major change from NASCAR’s traditional oval-track format.
Mexico City
NASCAR took the Cup Series to Mexico City in 2025.
The event became the series’ first points-paying race outside the United States in decades and supported NASCAR’s goal of reaching an international audience.
Historic Tracks
Kennedy has also supported returns to traditional venues, including Bowman Gray Stadium and North Wilkesboro Speedway.
His approach combines modern ideas with NASCAR’s history.
Ben Kennedy as NASCAR COO
On 25 April 2026, NASCAR appointed Ben Kennedy as its chief operating officer.
Steve O’Donnell became NASCAR’s chief executive officer, while Jim France remained chairman.
Kennedy’s promotion expanded his leadership responsibilities across NASCAR’s competition operations, race venues and wider business activities.
Several drivers responded positively to the announcement. They highlighted his experience as a former competitor and his understanding of racing outside the executive office.
Chase Elliott said Kennedy had earned respect by racing at short tracks and working his way through NASCAR’s competition system. Other drivers described him as intelligent and willing to consider new ideas.
More information about the appointment is available in NASCAR’s official leadership announcement.
Leadership Style
Kennedy is known for combining new ideas with respect for NASCAR’s traditions.
He has publicly discussed the importance of taking calculated risks instead of making changes without a clear reason.
His approach involves listening to experienced colleagues, studying the possible results and considering the needs of both long-time supporters and new audiences.
Kennedy’s experience as a driver also affects his decisions. He understands competition from inside a race car and has experienced the pressures faced by drivers and teams.
NASCAR colleagues have described him as thoughtful, hard-working and willing to test creative ideas. These descriptions come from professional colleagues and should not be treated as an independent assessment of his personality.
Awards and Achievements
Ben Kennedy’s confirmed achievements include:
- Winning the first NASCAR-sanctioned oval race in Europe in 2012.
- Receiving the 2013 K&N Pro Series East Most Popular Driver Award.
- Winning the 2014 NASCAR Truck Series Rookie of the Year Award.
- Winning the 2016 Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
- Becoming the first France-family member to win a NASCAR national-series race.
- Being recognised as a Sports Business Journal New Voice Under 30.
- Receiving Outstanding Young Alumni recognition from the University of Florida.
- Becoming NASCAR’s chief operating officer in 2026.
Charity and Community Work
Kennedy has publicly supported the NASCAR Foundation.
The organisation works to improve the lives of children through health, education and medical programmes.
The University of Florida describes him as an active advocate for the foundation. Reliable public sources do not disclose his personal donation amounts, so no financial estimate should be presented.
Ben Kennedy’s Impact on NASCAR
Kennedy’s career gives him a rare combination of racing and management experience.
He has competed as a driver, operated a racing team, managed the Truck Series and helped design national racing schedules.
His projects have taken NASCAR into stadiums, city streets and international markets. At the same time, he has supported events at historic tracks that remain important to traditional racing fans.
His long-term impact will depend on NASCAR’s future results. However, his promotion to chief operating officer shows that he has already become an important figure in the organisation.
Conclusion
Ben Kennedy is more than a member of NASCAR’s founding family. He has developed practical experience as a track employee, university student, racing driver, team owner and sports executive.
His 2016 victory at Bristol remains the biggest result of his driving career. His later work in NASCAR management has allowed him to influence the sport on a much larger scale.
As chief operating officer, Kennedy is now responsible for helping NASCAR protect its history while preparing for new audiences, markets and racing formats.
