Bill France Jr., the man who helped build Daytona International Speedway and built NASCAR into a nationwide billion-dollar conglomerate, died Monday at his Daytona Beach, Fla. home. France had been diagnosed with cancer in 1999 -- he never publicly disclosed any details about his disease -- and had been in poor health for much of the past 10 years. He was 74.

"He had a remarkable career and an even more remarkable life," said his son, Brian France, who replaced him as chairman in 2003. "Words cannot express how much he'll be missed by myself and the rest of our family and by the NASCAR industry overall."

France spent 31 years as NASCAR chairman and earned himself a reputation as a benevolent dictator. He rarely compromised yet always did what was best for NASCAR. France's passing is a huge loss for the sport.

"There's not enough words to describe what he's meant to this sport and what he's done for it," said two-time series champion Tony Stewart. "I guarantee it's the biggest loss in racing since Dale Earnhardt, and it's probably bigger."

Said Dale Earnhardt Jr., "He's the one probably most responsible for the state of our sport today. He's one of those giants, very intimidating to me. I didn't know him well, but my dad was close with him. And I know that made my dad very proud to get close to someone that not a lot of others did."

France became chairman in 1972 when he replaced his father, NASCAR founder William Henry Getty France. But before his chairman role, France worked crowd control at the 1950s beach races in Daytona Beach, sold concessions, parked cars, promoted events, and even helped with the construction of the Daytona International Speedway.

France, a true pioneer in the world of NASCAR, was honored on Monday afternoon at the Nextel Cup at Dover International Speedway. Officials lowered the flag to half-staff in Victory Lane in memory of this legendary man, who is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren.