Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway will be a somber event for the entire NASCAR community. The passing of NASCAR Vice Chairman Bill France has touched competitors, industry officials and fans alike. Among the many places France’s impact will be felt is Pocono Raceway.
“I’ve made mention a number of times that without Bill France Jr., Pocono Raceway wouldn’t be here today, ” said Dr. Joseph Mattioli, CEO & Chairman of the Board for Pocono Raceway.
For the Mattioli family, the relationship with France went beyond that of business associates. Dr. Mattioli and France shared a 35-year friendship that started over a home-made meal.
“Bill invited me down to his house in Daytona Beach for a meeting in 1972, ” Mattioli said. “I had problems with my connecting flight and ended up in Orlando. Bill flew his plane over to pick me up and had me stay for dinner with his family that evening. Betty Jane made Southern fried chicken – the first time I had ever had it – and we talked all night. That is when we started our personal relationship. ”
The relationship between the two blossomed into a friendship that never wavered. The bond between the friends created a trust that carried over to the business world.
“One thing people don’t know is that for the last 25 years, I’ve never read a sanction agreement, ” Mattioli said. “When NASCAR comes up here, I ask them if our track is being treated like everybody else. They always look me in the eye and say ‘absolutely’. I flip to the last page of the agreement and sign it and give it back. That is the kind of relationship we have. ”
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