Mike Helton | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Helton in 2008 | |
| Born | Michael Gregory Helton August 30, 1953 Bristol, Virginia, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | King University |
| Occupation | Vice chairman of NASCAR |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Employer | NASCAR |
| Spouses | Juanita Allania Dickenson
(m. 1973, divorced)Linda Diane Barnes (m. 1983) |
| Children | 2 |
Michael Gregory Helton (born August 30, 1953) is an American businessman and the current vice chairman for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, better known as NASCAR. He is best known for being NASCAR's third president and for officially announcing to the public the death of Dale Earnhardt. He previously held management positions at various racetracks across the United States before becoming the president of NASCAR. In 2015, he became the vice chairman of NASCAR, overseeing competition in NASCAR's national series.
Helton was born and raised within the Bristol, Virginia area. After getting his first job as a high school football referee, he became the station director of WOPI. With the help of then-Bristol International Raceway public relations director Eddie Gossage in 1980, he was assigned to become the public relations director at the Atlanta International Raceway (now Atlanta Motor Speedway) in October, landing him his first major job in auto racing, later becoming the general manager five years later. After a period of holding management positions at various tracks owned by the International Speedway Corporation (ISC), he was hired by NASCAR to become NASCAR's chief operating officer in 1994. He was later promoted to become NASCAR's president in 1999, a position he held until 2015, when he was reassigned to become the current vice chairman of NASCAR.
Helton is regarded as a key figure within NASCAR, directing many of NASCAR's major changes throughout the 1990s, 2000s and the early 2010s. Throughout his tenure within the sport, he has been the manager of numerous several major racetracks including the Atlanta Motor Speedway and the Talladega Superspeedway, overseen television deals, has directed numerous projects to improve the safety of NASCAR, and has overseen a growth of popularity and subsequent decline in NASCAR. Numerous NASCAR drivers and businessmen, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, and current NASCAR chief operating officer Steve O'Donnell have praised Helton for a hard-working nature and according to Bowyer, the ability to "[take] the time to relate to you and understand your needs."