J.C. France arrested for DUI and Cocaine!
October 9, 2009 by Negative Camber
Filed under People & Events
Just when you thought F1 had the whole scandal/-Gate market cornered with espionage, spanking German prison-themed hookers, lying and race-fixing there comes a cry from the wilderness. A lowly signal that NASCAR will not be outdone in racing or controversy. If F1 thinks it’s going to hog the racing scandal limelight it’s got another thing coming.
It seems that J.C. France, 43-year-old son of Jim France and brother of late NASCAR boss Bill France Jr. has just been arrested for cocaine possession and a DUI…no, he wasn’t in a car-of-tomorrow but something better. No, it wasn’t a Chevy Volt either!
The other participant in the alleged street race, Russell Van Richmond, is France’s roommate in a million-dollar mansion, and is apparently the son of an ex-wife of Jim France, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Van Richmond was driving a Posche Cayenne, and France was driving a green 2007 Lamborghini. Van Richmond was also charged with DUI, possession of cocaine and possession of a controlled substance, hydrocodone. The newspaper reported that Van Richmond was also charged with threatening an officer, after telling her, “I want your commander now. I am a France. Do you know what that means? We own this city.” Richmond is a geologist, who runs a company from their Halifax River mansion.
Last time I checked, they weren’t listed as the owners of the city but certainly on the ego bill of sale? Sure…you own it pal. France drives the Brumos Porsche-Riley in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Daytona Prototype series and was slated to drive this weekend but NASCAR officials say he has already been banned indefinitely. To add insult to injury, the Brumos website said this:
“The team anticipates celebrating a new milestone there, as the likely win of the Jim Trueman Sportsman Award by number 59 driver J.C. France would mark the first back-to-back win of that prestigious honor.”
Ouch! I guess maybe they may be holding off on that awards ceremony huh? Keep in mind folks that while we don’t cover NASCAR I would be remiss in not suggesting that the series has lambasted Jeremy Mayfield in recent months for his alleged (and not so alleged) substance abuse. Anything less than what they did to Mayfield will be viewed with some very suspicious eyes and this certifiable idiot had the foresight to be a coke-head after the Mayfield inquisition?
Color me reactionary but this is survivable for NASCAR. If F1 can’t kill itself through some of the most heinous crimes and scandals in motorsport history then a cocaine possession and DUI in NASCAR is going to be like a detention hour at Spoiled Brat High School. The series is hammering Mayfield but when was the last time the tested a France family member? No doubt he endangered lives with this incident?
Well don’t feel bad NASCAR fans…this is really small potatoes compared to F1′s “gate’s” so rest assured that this will only bring more attention to the sport and if you’re lucky you can make a buck or two off it as well…heck, Bernie does.
Loading ...
Does the JC stand for Just Coke. Way to go spoiled brat. Thanks for the black eye you have given Porsche. It looks you have just lost you largest race ever. Book ‘em Dan O!
LOL. Yeah, bad image for Porsche but nothing like what F1 has done to it’s image during the waning Mosley years. Nothing to see here folks, move along.
Considering there are a greater number of teams and more personalities on the NASCAR grid, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened before. Of course Miami is a port city and major gateway for Coke imports, if France wants to be considered above the law, he should be driving in F1 where immunity is easier to come by.
I have not followed their drug testing policy very closely but it is not wonder it hasn’t been more prevalent as you point out.
As for F1, yes…they would fare much better there as immunity would most likely be given if they J.C. would finger Flavio as the source of the drugs. ;)
Considering the accusations made by Jack Flowers in his book “Dirt Under the Asphalt”, this doesn’t come as a surprise to me. Flowers wrote that the France family was involved in drugs back in the 90′s. There have also been various rumors (rumors are usually founded on some grain of truth) regarding Brian France and his use of drugs and alcohol. So apparently drugs and driving under the influence seem to be as much of a family tradition with the Frances as racing is.
O.K. can we please not refer to Jeremy Mayfield’s “substance abuse” as such… I mean it was METH. Isn’t much more satisfying to say “That meth head in NASCAR Jeremy Mayfield”? I know it’s not that journalistically appropriate to do so… but you know it feels good! I mean what more appropriate “substance” to be abusing in NASCAR but meth? It’s just too funny. (O.k. I know the publicly appropriate response it too “sad”, and yes…but NASCAR and meth! That’s too funny).
Am I wrong or is the real crime here racing a Cayenne — a Caynne?! — vs. a Lambo?
That is kind of a crime to be honest.
Preseason thunder Daytona Speedway 2004, I worked at the track then, the track is “cold” and had been for about 2 hours, I hear over the radio someone has gone out on the track doing “hot” laps in a white Caddilac Escalade, Security was on duty and also contacted the Daytona PD to help. It turned out that J.C was giving a ride around the track at over 100 mph with an un-identified female (some said she looked like a hoo ker) and (heres the character of this piece of waste) 2 children in the back seat in childseats! His statement to security was, ” I own this track” how is it that the lack of brains and judgement of this guy continues and he will put ANYONE at risk whenever he wants to! JC France. your a waste of blood and protien! Go disolve in jail, or even better, send him to Somalia!
How come all the links to the Daytona Beach News Journal’s article(s) on this all over the web (on other sites) don’t seem to work? How come if you do a search on this story on the News Journal’s site, nothing comes up? Does the Daytona Beach News Journal really think they can “hide” this story? Are they scared of Boss Hogg? What a joke. A redneck family with money (think Jethro and Ellie May) that spews, “I/we own this town.” Personally, I wouldn’t want to admit to owning a podunk beach town filled with losers who ran there because they couldn’t even make it at their local Wal-Mart elsewhere in the country. Sickening, just sickening.