NASCAR announced a series of leadership promotions Thursday, including one for Ben Kennedy.
Kennedy, the great-grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., has been named vice president of racing development.
He will continue to report to Steve O’Donnell, executive vice president and chief racing development office. Kennedy will oversee strategic racing development initiatives for each of NASCAR’s series, including development of future national series’ schedules and international expansion.
The other announced promotions:
- John Martin has been promoted to vice president of media and event technology
- Patrick Rogers has been promoted to vice president of marketing services
- Chris Schwartz has been promoted to vice president of media properties.
Martin will oversee all technology related to the fan and industry at-track experience and across NASCAR’s media platforms and products. Martin has previously served in a variety of leadership roles across NASCAR Productions and NASCAR Digital and he was instrumental in the initial roll-out of NASCAR.com. Martin will remain based in Charlotte and will report to Craig Neeb, executive vice president and chief innovation officer.
Rogers will oversee all marketing services across teams, drivers and tracks, serving as the main point of leadership with industry stakeholders in implementing NASCAR’s integrated marketing strategy and maximizing the potential impact of all industry assets. Rogers has led the sanctioning body’s collaborative marketing work with race teams and drivers and will take that work to another level with his new, broader duties. Rogers will remain based in Charlotte and will continue to report to Pete Jung, senior vice president of marketing.
Schwartz will continue to lead the Motor Racing Network and Racing Electronics and working with NASCAR’s media functions to integrate that technology across NASCAR media platforms. His focus will be working with NASCAR’s media partners and senior leadership to build upon strategies to distribute live audio content and dynamic in-venue technology to race fans both at-home and at the track. Schwartz will be based in Charlotte and will report into Brian Herbst, senior vice president of media and productions.