William C. France Jr., who helped build NASCAR into one of the great American success stories in more than 30 years at the helm of his family’s business, died Monday afternoon. He was 74.

Mr. France had been struggling with his health for the past several months. His passing was announced at 2:20 p.m. during the Fox Sports broadcast of the rain-delayed Autism Speaks 400 from Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

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Mr. France was once described in an article in “New Yorker” magazine as “an American hybrid — the second-generation self-made man. … Although he knows kings, presidents, CEOs, and movie stars, he is not impressed by glamour. Left to himself, he’s a profane and down-to-earth old salt who likes to ride on his boat, fish, and eat hot dogs.”

Mr. France suffered a mild heart attack while attending a NASCAR exhibition race in Japan in 1997. He was diagnosed with cancer in 1999 and in 2001 he had heart surgery and hip surgery.

“On average, I feel pretty good,” he once quipped. “It’s like if you put your feet in a deep freezer and your head in a microwave oven, on average you feel pretty good. … I like to consider myself pragmatic. I don’t think it’s any secret that everybody has to go sometime. It’s just a question of when. You just have to take things as they unfold.”

Rest In Peace, Bill.

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