DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Jim Foster, who was the fourth president of Daytona International Speedway has died after a 10-year battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 91.
Foster was hired by NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. in 1967 as assistant to the president. He worked in several positions over the years before his ascension to Speedway president in 1990, holding the top executive post at the track for nearly five years.
The France family, which owns NASCAR and has a controlling interest in publicly-traded International Speedway Corp., the umbrella company that owns Daytona International Speedway and a dozen other tracks, released a statement in response to Foster’s passing on Friday.
“Jim Foster was a trusted friend and confidant of the France Family, working directly with Bill France Sr. and Bill France Jr. at both ISC and NASCAR,” the statement said. “Jim’s importance to the growth of those companies and the motorsports industry overall cannot be overstated. Jim set standards in many areas that we strive to adhere to each and every day. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Babs, and the rest of his family. Godspeed, Jim.”
“Jim Foster was a trusted friend and confidant of the France Family, working directly with Bill France Sr. and Bill France Jr. at both ISC and NASCAR,” the statement said. “Jim’s importance to the growth of those companies and the motorsports industry overall cannot be overstated. Jim set standards in many areas that we strive to adhere to each and every day. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Babs, and the rest of his family. Godspeed, Jim.”
Foster, who had succeeded Bill France Jr., was appointed to the top executive spot in September 1990, retiring in August 1995. He was succeeded by bank executive John Graham, who held the post until 2002.
Foster established Daytona International Speedway’s Checkered Flag Committee in 1974, bringing together local business executives to serve as “community ambassadors” during races.
In terms of community affairs, Foster served on the board of directors of the Daytona Beach chapter of the American Red Cross, served as president of the Halifax Area Advertising Authority, and was a volunteer for Halifax Health Medical Center and its foundation.
That sense of volunteerism was instilled in Foster from an early age. At 17, Foster answered the call of duty for his country near the end of World War II, when he volunteered for service in the Navy. Part of the Allied occupation force in Japan, Foster saw firsthand the devastation from the atomic bomb blast on Nagasaki, Japan.
After the war, Foster returned to the US and earned a degree from Catawba College, before going into sports journalism, covering the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959.
Foster then went into public relations, working for Chrysler in 1966, before his hiring by Bill France Sr., a year later.
In 1970, Foster created the Motor Racing Network, better recognized by its acronym MRN, a subsidiary of ISC Motorsports.
Jim Foster is survived by his wife of 63 years, Babs Foster. Lohman Funeral Homes has charge of arrangements.
Multimedia:
Youtube video download / The Last laps of the 1991 Daytona 500 won by Ernie Irvan, the first for then-new DIS President Jim Foster, who passed away Friday, Apil 27, 2018.
FAST FACTS:Chip Wile is the current president of Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL, home of the Daytona 500 race. He was hired in April 2016. Wile was previously president of Darlington Raceway in Darlington, SC.
Posted: Sun, 04/29/2018 - 08:52
About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008, that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed close to 150 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. • Award-Winning Journalism: Florida Press Club recognizes Headline Surfer for nine stories in 2020 statewide competition. • Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.