France became NASCAR's CEO and Chairman of the Board in 2003, after his father retired from the position. One of France's first actions as CEO was to create a new safety rule that barred drivers from racing back to the start/finish line when under caution. After assuming control of NASCAR, France negotiated a title sponsorship from Sprint Nextel and introduced the Chase for the Sprint Cup over the transition period, receiving a $4.5 billion television contract for the initial ten race seasons, in addition to a later multibillion-dollar deal with NBC. France also made an effort to expand the audience base of NASCAR to minorities, and allowed Toyota vehicles to begin competing on the NASCAR circuit. During France's tenure as CEO, NASCAR tv ratings peaked in the mid-2000s, but by 2014, they had dropped, accompanied by a 15% decrease in track attendance. "The Sporting News" named France one of the five most powerful sports executives in 2005, and, in 2006, "Time" magazine named him one of the "100 Most Influential of the Century."