Track Smack: Looking back at the life of Bill France Jr.

1. You didn't have to know Bill France Jr. to appreciate what he's presented to everyone involved in the sport of NASCAR racing today, so as we get ready to go to Pocono, what's the thought?

Mark Aumann: I never had the opportunity to meet him in person, but as a long-time fan and journalist, there's no doubt how much he meant to the sport. I bought a ticket to the 1978 Daytona 500 for $15 two weeks before the race. Imagine doing that now?

Dave Rodman: I happen to like Pocono, so I hope the legacy that the names "France" and "Mattioli" have created there, gets to continue for a good long while. It's neat that Doc's place is the next stop after Bill's passing, since that relationship goes back to "Big Bill's" day.

Raygan Swan: There are so many figures in this sport that I wish I had the privilege of meeting and Bill France Jr. was definitely one of those. He made NASCAR attractive to new fans like me.

Dave Rodman: Bill and his dad had the greatest quality imaginable. They could talk to kings or queens or you or I -- and make everyone feel like they were on the same level. And that's a rare and priceless attribute.

Mark Aumann: Consider that the only NASCAR race on the western side of the Mississippi River was at Riverside after Ontario shut down. And Pocono might have been the only race on the other side of the Delaware River, then.

Dave Rodman: There's no question Bill was huge in motorsports, and deservedly so. But he was "just folks..." I'm thankful for that, as a lot of people are.

Mark Aumann: Hard to believe that less than 30 years ago, the Daytona 500 wasn't even shown live on television. That's the kind of impact Bill France Jr. had on this sport.

Dave Rodman: That is hard to believe, and like with a lot of other things, it's hard for new fans to really appreciate what Billy brought to the table, but he's made great careers possible for a lot of people in a lot of areas.

Raygan Swan: If it wasn't for his and Brian France's vision, I may not be a fan today. What the family has done for the female fan base is incredible.

Mark Aumann: I wonder how much input Brian got from him after he retired from the sport, and how that changes Brian's management style.

Dave Rodman: I'll never forget the time I needed to change the oil in my car, way back whenever. I don't know why, whether it was raining or what -- but I pulled it into the old mailroom, which was located right behind my original office outside Daytona Speedway's Turn 4 tunnel. I was in the middle of the deal and Bill came in to get something. He was absolutely incredulous that I was doing what I was doing, where I was doing it. He left shaking his head, saying "I got 200 garages inside the track, what are you doing HERE?" (Continued)