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Report: Brian France pleads not guilty

NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Day

CHARLOTTE, NC - MAY 23: NASCAR Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Brian France, speaks during the NACAR Hall of Fame Voting Day at NASCAR Hall of Fame on May 23, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

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Brian France, on indefinite leave from his role as NASCAR Chairman and CEO, pleaded not guilty to charges Friday in Sag Harbor (N.Y.) Village Court, according to TMZ.

France was arrested Aug. 5 for aggravated driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the 7th degree.

Sag Habor Police stated that France was observed operating a 2017 Lexus when he failed to stop at a posted stop sign. Newsday, citing court documents, reported that France registered a blood-alcohol level of .18 percent and that he was in possession of five yellow pills later determined to be oxycodone.

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicle website lists the penalties for alcohol and drug-related violations. It states that aggravated driving while intoxicated is where an individual has a Blood Alcohol Content of .18 or higher. In New York, a person is considered driving while intoxicated if they have a Blood Alcohol Content of .08 or higher or exhibit other evidence of intoxication.

France’s next scheduled court date is Oct. 5, according to TMZ.

Sag Harbor Village is on Long Island, New York, and located about 100 miles east of New York City.

NASCAR Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President Jim France has assumed the role of interim chairman and chief executive officer in place of Brian France.

Jim France, 73, is the son of NASCAR founder William H.G. France. He was vice chairman/executive vice president of NASCAR and is chairman of the board at International Speedway Corp. Jim France founded Grand-Am Road Racing in 1999 and played a role in the merger of that series and the American Le Mans Series in 2012 into what is now known as the International Motor Sports Association.