Jim Hunter, a NASCAR executive who spent portions of six decades in the industry, first as a newspaper reporter and later as a public relations official with the sanctioning body, has died after a yearlong battle with cancer. He was 71. Hunter died Friday night in Daytona Beach, Fla., NASCAR said. He was at Talladega Superspeedway when he was diagnosed last fall, and a race will be held there Sunday. "Jim Hunter was one of NASCAR's giants," said NASCAR chairman Brian France. "For more than 40 years Jim was part of NASCAR and its history. He loved the sport, but loved the people even more. It seems as if everyone in the sport called him a friend. Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/news/story?id=5743643