France grew up immersed in the business of stock car racing, with his first job being as a janitor at Talladega Superspeedway. He attended the University of Central Florida but joined NASCAR before completing his degree. In the early stages of his career France managed several short tracks, including Tucson Raceway Park in Arizona. During the 1990s he ran NASCAR's Los Angeles office and worked to create connections between the sport and the entertainment industry, with the result that films began advertising at NASCAR events and NASCAR drivers gained broader media exposure. In 1995, France helped establish the Craftsman Truck Series. By 2000 he had risen to the role of NASCAR's executive vice president.
France assumed the positions of CEO and chairman of the board in 2003 following his father's retirement from the role. His early actions as chief executive demonstrated a focus on competitive structure and safety. He created a rule barring drivers from racing back to the start/finish line while under caution — a response to dangerous practice that had previously been widespread — and oversaw the introduction of multiple safety mandates including the requirement of HANS devices for all drivers and the progressive installation of SAFER barriers at every track on the schedule.
France negotiated a title sponsorship deal with Sprint Nextel to replace the departing Winston sponsorship, which had run since 1971, and introduced the Chase for the Championship playoff format beginning with the 2004 season. He secured a television contract worth $4.5 billion and later a further multibillion-dollar deal with NBC. France also expanded NASCAR's competitive landscape by allowing Toyota to participate in the Cup Series, and made efforts to broaden the sport's audience to minority demographics.
NASCAR's television ratings peaked in the mid-2000s under his tenure. By 2014, however, ratings had declined significantly and track attendance had dropped by approximately fifteen percent from its highs. France became a focal point for fan criticism during this period, with longtime followers of the sport holding him responsible for changes they viewed as undermining NASCAR's traditional character.
In August 2018, France took an indefinite leave of absence from his role at NASCAR. On August 5, 2018, he was pulled over in Sag Harbor, New York, for driving through a stop sign and was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence and possession of oxycodone. France pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor DUI on June 7, 2019. His leave of absence was formally concluded in February 2019, when his uncle, Jim France, who had been serving as interim CEO, permanently assumed the roles of CEO and chairman.
France later spoke publicly about his tenure in a 2022 episode of The Dale Jr. Download, describing his arrest as a dark moment but acknowledging that his departure had allowed him to prioritize his health. He stated that he did not foresee a return to NASCAR, observing that after leaving the way he had, there was not a natural role for him to return to.
In 2019, France founded Silver Falcon Capital, Inc., a private investment firm based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and became its CEO. He had also previously founded Brand Sense Partners, a Los Angeles-based licensing company. France and his wife are founders of the Amy and Brian France Foundation and the Luke and Meadow Foundation, both philanthropic organisations with a focus on children.
Sporting News named France one of the five most powerful sports executives in 2005. In 2006, Time magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential of the Century.