by Lee Spencer

Updated: July 8, 2008, 1:54 AM EST 90 comments

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Following a few talking points topped by the new car's progress, France answered a slew of questions in rapid-fire succession, ranging from the impending Mauricia Grant lawsuit to franchising to drug testing to competition to NASCAR's continual effort to be more "green."

And there were the questions he tap danced around — particularly in regards to additional foreign manufacturers given the plight of the American automakers.

But it was hard to ignore the economy after another Cup team ceased operation this week, and the car count has decreased to 45 at Daytona, down from a season-high of 53 at the season opener.

As France looked around the half-filled media center, where it was once necessary to reserve a seat, the absence of reporters — especially covering the chairman's speech — was a stark example of how tough times had affected NASCAR.

Like a lot of businesses, France feels the best way to keep his customers — the fans — happy was to offer more bang for the buck.

"As I've said to many of you in the past, we're not immune to a difficult economy," France said. "We're certainly not immune to high energy costs, and that's why the tracks and ourselves are working very hard to ensure that our fans get as much value as they can in coming to our events, because we know the hardship.

"We know how much it costs to fill the tank up, to stay in the hotel rooms and all the things that go on in getting to a NASCAR race."

Although no one was spontaneous or gutsy enough to ask France if he knew how much it costs to fill his Lexus with 93-octane, there was hardly a softball fired in the exchange.

• Where do we stand on drug testing?

"We have a long-standing policy that we think works well," France said. "There are different circumstances and different things going on today that might not have gone on when we originated the policy. If there's ways to improve it, and there probably will be, we will and I will have those answers shortly — within a month to six weeks — I would expect a dramatic changes in our policy.

"You can have any policy you want, but if the punishments aren't tough — that's the ultimate deterrent. If you look at lifetime suspensions, which we have several out there today, if you look at what happens on a first infraction, in our sport it's very severe. It probably means your career will be over. A second infraction probably will end a career. A third will get you a lifetime suspension."

• What are you hearing from the manufacturers and what are the contingency plans to attract other foreign car companies?

"They're going through very difficult times and I'm not going to read into all of their issues because they would be better to speak to those," France said. "They have repeatedly told us their long-standing positions in NASCAR work well. They're going to market their products — whatever their products are going to be. This is a place where they get to come and they get to actually be part of the sport in a way that is so unique and so different from any other sport. With their challenges and reviews, we'll have to see how that goes.

"I wish they were more healthy. I think they will be at some point. My own view of that is we have high energy prices, and with the kind of vehicles and the long product cycles they have, it might take them some time to get back on their feet, but hopefully, they will."

• The allegations in the discrimination lawsuit have gotten a lot of air play. How difficult is it to see your sport in that light?

"Naturally, we would like to not have to be dealing with it," France said. "There's a lot of other things that we need to deal with, but we will. It's a lawsuit, as I've said, and lawsuits take on a life of their own, and it's going through the court system as we speak. My own experience with lawsuits over many years is (that) by the time the facts ultimately catch up to the actual lawsuit, they're usually a whole lot different than the claims that are made on the front end when you're after a lot of money.

"We'll have to see what happens through the court system ... We'll be — you can appreciate — defending ourselves very vigorously, and we'll just have to see.

• Is franchising part of our future?

"The teams have had a lot of financial interest of late with private equity and other groups coming in and making investments," France said. "I'm happy to see rather large valuations for them and pumping capital most recently with Petty Enterprises. I would say there's no shortest of interest in financially rewarding the team owners that have good teams. There are those interested in taking advantage if there is an advantage.

"You're talking about franchising and sorting that out. The reality is that closes off competition. That's what it does. We have tended to look at that not in a positive way but the previous question centered around getting new owners in not closing off all potential owners. Then this idea of what value the team owners that paid their dues for a long time really have is kind of being answered by the investment in various private equity firms that have come in and thought they have a lot of value.

"If we thought franchising would add more owners than subtract, would make the competition better or reward somebody that needed to be rewarded, of course, we would look at that. It's an easy thing to talk about. There's many portions of NASCAR that are like the NBA and the NFL, but there are some stark differences for a reason. We're structured the way that works for the racecars on the track and the teams. But it is something that we have looked at many times. It's something I've looked at personally with a dozen different takes on that, but it's something that right now we don't think is in our best interest."

• What can you tell us about the investigation into the allegations into the lawsuit and when do you anticipate that the two officials that have been suspended will return?

"We're almost complete with it, and it centers on personnel," France said. "You've got to remember that it deals with personnel whether it's the conduct of Miss Grant or someone else. It's being investigated. We wouldn't be able to get into the details anyway because it violates our own policy. We have to give privacy to the employees that work at NASCAR.

"I will tell you that we've been very thorough. We've talked to 25 or 30 people, and I mean really talked and really reviewed and really investigated. So we have a really good handle on what we think the claims are and some of the conduct of Miss Grant and others, and that's really all I can say. Of course, it's also in a civil lawsuit that has a whole other set of challenges for us to be openly talking about things that might be litigated by a jury."

• It's safe to say the competition is healthy on the track, right? What do you say to the fans that say they're not happy?

"We know that some of the drivers have said that it's not as exciting and that carries into how are fans think," France said. "We understand that. That's a natural thing and some of the drivers were struggling with the car, some of the same drivers that weren't struggling a year ago and we anticipated that. I would tell you ... our whole family is built around making sure it's the most exciting racing in the world.

"All the other problems, issues, challenges and policies are all part of the sport. But the reality of getting that right and how importantly we view it, we will make sure one way or another. The races have been on balance very good. My own view is that they're getting better every week. The teams are getting it figured out, and we'll satisfy our fans because that's what we've done for 60 years."

While France was generous with his time, additional questions remained. Has a sponsor been tabbed for the Craftsman Truck Series and if so, will it be Kobalt Tools? Has NASCAR decided to shelve plans for a Car of Tomorrow in the Nationwide Series in order for that tour to survive? Where does the Kentucky Speedway lawsuit stand and will the track receive a date for 2009 if the litigation goes away? And, for a third time, have additional foreign manufacturers been courted to join the NASCAR ranks?

Whenever you have a moment Mr. France, the floor is yours.