44 Facts About Mike Helton

Michael Gregory Helton was born on August 30,1953 and is an American businessman and the current vice chairman for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, better known as NASCAR.

Mike Helton is best known for being NASCAR's third president and for officially announcing to the public the death of Dale Earnhardt.

Mike Helton previously held management positions at various racetracks across the United States before becoming the president of NASCAR.

Mike Helton was born and raised within the Bristol, Virginia area.

Mike Helton 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.

Mike Helton is regarded as a key figure within NASCAR, directing many of NASCAR's major changes throughout the 1990s, 2000s and the early 2010s.

Mike Helton was born on August 30,1953, in Bristol, Virginia to Orville Bundy Mike Helton and and Sarah Kathryn Hayter.

Mike Helton was born to three brothers: Dan, Ron, and Alan.

Mike Helton lived a "few hundred yards" from a fertilizer plant, where his father worked as the general manager.

Mike Helton first experienced auto racing when he attended his first race at the Bristol International Raceway in 1965 for the 1965 Volunteer 500.

Mike Helton attended John S Battle High School, graduating in 1971.

Mike Helton graduated with numerous honors, including being a member of the National Honor Society and being named the senior class president.

Mike Helton later gave that job up, giving the recruitment forms to his brother, Dan.

Mike Helton attended King University after graduation, majoring in business administration and minoring in mathematics.

Mike Helton graduated in 1975, and later became an accountant for a year and a half.

Sometime in the late 1970s, Mike Helton became a high school sports official for basketball and football.

Mike Helton later accepted a job there, working as an advertising salesman and as a sports director, along with hosting a weekly Saturday sports broadcast.

Once, Mike Helton recalled a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race held at the Texas World Speedway in 1979 where WOPI had become the only form of medium to cover the race as no national radio or television network had offered to broadcast the race.

Mike Helton, who was a frequent visitor of the Bristol International Raceway, later met then-public relations director of Bristol, Eddie Gossage.

In January 1985, Mike Helton was promoted to become the general manager of the Atlanta International Raceway.

In May 1986, Mike Helton left the Atlanta International Raceway to take a position at the Daytona International Speedway as their Director of Promotions and Market Development, which involved managing promotions and advertising for the speedway.

Mike Helton that owned both Daytona and Alabama, the International Speedway Corporation, chose Helton to replace him on the basis that the company needed someone with some sort of general managing experience to replace Naman; Helton was the only one available who fit the criteria.

On January 30,1989, Mike Helton announced that he was promoted to become the president of the track; on the same day, Mike Helton announced that the track was to change its name to Talladega Superspeedway, as according to Talladega's publicity director, Jim Freeman, "it's shorter, and everybody called it 'Talladega' anyway".

In 1992, Mike Helton directed the implementation of a new infield campground at Talladega; the decision was met with relative praise from Mike Helton and the local The Anniston Star newspaper.

In November 1993, NASCAR announced that Mike Helton had been appointed as the vice president of competition effective January 1,1994, replacing long-time holder of the position, Les Richter.

Mike Helton immediately entered into a turbulent situation; that year, a tire war between the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and Hoosier Racing Tire had been renewed, and NASCAR was looking into new markets.

Mike Helton, when asked if NASCAR should slow cars down, stated that NASCAR had no plans to, but were considering reverting back to a one-tire manufacturer system.

Also in the same year, Mike Helton stated that he had gotten offers from both Roger Penske and Richard Childress for race dates in the Los Angeles area and College Station, Texas, respectively; Mike Helton stated that he was only seriously looking into expanding into the Los Angeles market.

However, in a September 2000 press conference, Mike Helton stated that he would not mandate head restraint devices nor kill switches.

The first year of Mike Helton's rule oversaw a tumultuous period in NASCAR's history.

On February 18,2001, after that year's Daytona 500, Mike Helton announced to the public the death of NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt, who died in a last-lap crash, with the announcement being regarded as one of the most iconic moments in NASCAR's history.

That same year, Mike Helton banned the longtime practice of racing back to the line when a caution came out due to safety concerns.

Mike Helton tried to steer NASCAR into a "cleaner image", issuing points penalties for cursing during interviews.

Later that year, Mike Helton allowed Japanese automobile maker Toyota to enter into the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, a decision that was met with criticism at the time.

In February 2015, then-NASCAR CEO Brian France announced that Mike Helton had been reassigned to the title of being the vice chairman of NASCAR, leaving him with the responsibilities of being the "senior NASCAR official at all national series racing events overseeing competition" along with working with France to help advance NASCAR's growth.

Mike Helton had a close relationship with NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt.

Mike Helton had first met Earnhardt while working as a sports reporter for WOPI for an interview at the 1979 Southeastern 500.

When Earnhardt died, Mike Helton stated that he had "some sleepless nights" and that "it upset him that his friend's death [had] become a spectacle".

Mike Helton married his first wife, Juanita Allania Dickenson, in Bluefield, Virginia, on May 27,1973.

Sometime in the 1980s, Mike Helton married Lynda Diane Barnes, his current wife.

Mike Helton is regarded as one of the most influential and looked-at figures working in NASCAR.

Mike Helton has been described by Bristol Herald Courier writer Allan Gregory as "intimidating", stating that, "with his large build, booming voice and prominent mustache Helton commands respect".

Stewart, in an article published by The Charlotte Observer, stated that Mike Helton was "probably the guy I respect more than anyone".

Mike Helton has been praised for a push for increased safety after the deaths of four drivers in a nine month timeframe, culminating in the death of NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt.