NASCAR leaders need to build on France Jr.'s progress

	NASCAR chairman Brian France (left) and president Mike Helton will be challenged to keep costs down for teams and fans alike if the sport hopes to regain its momentum. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for NASCAR

The work of the France family is far from over.

Bill France Jr. left a legendary legacy when he died earlier this week, having grown NASCAR from a regional effort into a national pastime. Amazingly enough, Bill Jr. comfortably filled the shoes of his father, Bill France Sr., himself a legend for founding NASCAR and ushering in the era of the modern race tracks by building the Daytona International Speedway.

A third generation of NASCAR officials, Mike Helton and Brian France, are now squarely in charge. Actually, they've been running NASCAR since around 2000, shortly after Bill Jr. was first diagnosed with cancer. Over the years, Bill was always there to help guide the Helton-France duo. Now, they are on their own, with Helton serving as NASCAR's president and Brian as CEO.

The duo already has made its mark in stock car history. Helton has proved more than capable of handing day-to-day business while Brian has proven to be visionary. Brian was the co-founder of the Craftsman Truck Series, helped negotiate new television deals in 1999 and '05 and helped create the Chase for the Nextel Cup playoff format.

But there's a garage full of problems that the duo need to get fixed. With that in mind, here's a list of issues what will help define the Hilton-France legacy.

Keeping fans of all levels involved: Tickets are already too expensive for average families. The new fans are more middle class and technology savvy, which is different than the hard-core, blue-collar fans who form the cornerstone of the sport. Both are great, it is just hard to keep everyone happy.

Keep costs down: See "Keep attracting sponsors."