NASCAR CEO Brian France Arrested: Blake Koch Says Sport 'Beyond One Person'

Former NASCAR driver Blake Koch is hoping the public's perception of the organization isn't affected after the arrest of CEO and chairman Brian France.

France was arrested Sunday night on charges of driving under the influence and drug possession as per a Sag Harbor Village (New York) Police Department news release. He was later released from jail Monday morning and will take an "indefinite" leave of absence for now.

"We are aware of an incident that occurred last night and are in the process of gathering information," NASCAR said in a statement. "We take this as a serious matter and will issue a statement after we have all of the facts."

France's leadership was already being questioned by many due to NASCAR's declining attendance and television ratings and this could serve as a chance for him to step down from his position permanently.

According to an ESPN report, TV ratings for the first 16 events were down by 20 percent while admissions revenue to 14 Cup Series weekends after the Daytona 500 were down by almost 15 percent.

In addition, France has been criticized for his absence during the races by many drivers. Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski was notably one of them as he spoke during a media day before the 2018 season.

"If I could make one change it would be that the leader of the sport is at the race track every weekend," Keselowski said. "That would be my change."

The 56-year-old has held the position of chairman and CEO of NASCAR since 2003 but it has been reported that he sold all his shares more than a decade ago.

Past documents also show that his future could be in the hands of his sister, Lesa France Kennedy, and their uncle, Jim France, both of whom are the co-owners of NASCAR. Jim is expected to fill his role for now.

The news has naturally garnered plenty of criticism from fans and the media alike toward NASCAR.

The initial big story of the weekend was Chase Elliott, who after 99 races and eight runner-up finishes, got his first NASCAR Cup series win on Sunday at Watkins Glen. However, it was promptly overshadowed.

Koch urged the public not to let the negative press affect their perception of NASCAR and that the drivers, such as Elliott, are still the face of the sport as opposed to France.

"Lots of negative press today about NASCAR because CEO got arrested," Koch tweeted. "That should not alter your opinion of NASCAR. The sport goes far beyond one person and his mistake. The drivers are the face of the sport and those are some great guys. Sellout crowd this weekend and great racing."

France could still yet make a comeback as a recovered leader after he goes through rehabilitation. But given his perception and much-debated absence already, his family have a choice to make and it could involve putting somebody else in charge.