Wile Promoted, New President Steps In At Daytona

Daytona Beach, FL - Chip Wile, Daytona International Speedway’s president of five years, will step down and take on a new leadership role with NASCAR as a new president takes over the track. Frank Kelleher, who served as NASCAR’s Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer, will step in for Wile as he has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Chief Track Properties Officer, a role that will have him oversee 13 NASCAR-owned tracks. “For nearly two decades, Frank has demonstrated the ability to foster meaningful relationships and lead critical areas of our business,” said Lesa France Kennedy, Executive Vice Chairperson of NASCAR. “He is a dedicated member of the greater Daytona Beach community, a true team-builder, and most importantly, he has a deep-rooted passion for motorsports and promoting the fan experience. We are incredibly excited to have Frank leading Daytona International Speedway.” In his previous role, Kelleher and his team played a critical role in driving both media and partnership sales for NASCAR and its tracks. Kelleher was also instrumental in securing the sponsorships to Daytona International Speedway’s injectors. “I am incredibly honored to take on this historic role and represent the most iconic motorsports venue in the world,” said Kelleher. “Our race fans are what makes working in motorsports so special and I’m excited to work with the tremendous team at Daytona International Speedway to continue to deliver a best-in-class racing experience for our fans locally, nationally and around the globe.” Prior to serving as Daytona’s president, Wile was the president of Darlington Raceway, where he spearheaded a five-year strategy that reinvented the track experience, including the successful introduction of the now widely celebrated Throwback race weekend. As president of Daytona International Speedway, Wile oversaw major events, such as the Country 500—his first major event at the track—numerous NASCAR races, and led the industry through a revised Speedweeks in 2021. “Serving the community of race fans, our industry and the France family as President of Daytona International Speedway has been the greatest honor of my career,” said Wile. “I look forward to working with our team of talented track presidents as we continue to elevate the fan experience and deliver lifetime memories every time someone sets foot on our track properties.” Both Kelleher and Wile assumed their new positions immediately. Kelleher’s first major event as president comes in late-August when the Coke Zero Sugar 400, NASCAR’s regular season finale, returns along with the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola. Kelleher will also oversee the rock festival Welcome to Rockville, which is still slated to run in November.