Nascar History

NASCAR from the beginning

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From lowly roots in the deep South, NASCAR racing has risen to almost unbelievable popularity around the entire uS. Across the many years, from the inaugural races run in 1948, NASCAR has grown to arguably the best spectator sport in The US. NASCAR, with today's NEXTEL Cup and Busch series, counts 75 million fanatical buffs. Intriguing demographics demonstrate that 40% of fans are women and 53% work in white-collar or skilled labor jobs. Not your average racing buff that most people anticipate. The additional areas of fan interest are strong also; annual attendance at the tracks is In excess of 7 million, more than of 275 million Race fans watch on the tube, and the products market is greater than $2 billion. Websites have also popped up featuring key NASCAR news items.

The conclusion of World War II had an affect on the start of NASCAR. At the finish of the war, the demand for new cars in the United States of America made a large jump with the coming back of the military personnel. The manufacturing capacity that created the “weapons of war” shifted to constructing autos. Next followed the arrival on the marketplace of fast, muscular and robust automobiles which were relished by the young people of the time. The American West was burning for the "sports" automobiles, the Midwest for those with uncovered wheels, whereas the South-east preferred the stock cars. A great number of these were custom-made to carry out the illegal booze traffic and employed in the "contests" that sprung up all over the Southland.

How does NASCAR draw its origins back to bootlegging? The practice of bootlegging continued even after the conclusion of the Prohibition era, because of the great tax put on booze on repeal of the Volstead Act in 1933. As bootlegging expanded , the drivers commenced to contend between themselves to learn who had the fleetest autos. The bootleggers raced on Sunday afternoons and then used the same automobiles to cart moonshine Sunday night. As more and more observers came to view the competitions, racing moonshine autos became highly popular in the backroads of the Southland.

Commentators who closely keep up with the NASCAR sport assign several reasons for its almost unbelievable success over the many years. One key cause is a recipe that literally no other spectator sport equals. Every week, the best teams (drivers) are competing directly against each other. Different from, for instance the NFL, where you might have to hold off weeks for a momentous competition between top tier teams, you can watch number 1 versus number 2 every week. It’s practically like having the World Series of this circuit every week.

The roots of NASCAR in the “bootlegging” days and the humble start of many of its first champions seems to be a positive factor to followers nowadays. In this day of the spoiled, pampered, arrogant professional athlete, NASCAR racing fans appear to be searching for a normal, more grounded kind of hero to give their commitment to.

The inaugural races of what was to finally become the NASCAR series were held in 1948 with customized pre-war autos, which later became the "modified" series. Some major milestones for the NASCAR Racing world over the years include:

--The first 500 mile race takes place at Darlington in 1950

--The 1st Daytona 500 takes place at Daytona International Speedway in 1959.

--initial television report by CBS in 1960.

--Buddy Baker surpasses the 200 mph barrier at Talladega in 1970.

--A Gallup poll shows that 28% of Race fans are “contend followers” in 1976.

NASCAR history has developed to a point where racing is no longer a sport just for Southern "rednecks". The popularity of the sport has developed from its Southeastern background to places across the country producing NASCAR fans all throughout the country. NEXTEL Cup contests are now run in New Hampshire, Michigan, California, Arizona, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Texas and Nevada. There have even been exhibition competitions attended in Japan and other international locales.

The American passion for auto racing that grown in the 1940’s did not escape the attention of promoters who rapidly made an "official" event out of it, creating several organizations, each with their own guidelines. Then on December 14, 1947, Bill France, determined to meet with thirty five of the leaders of all racing associations in place to create the lines of what was going to turn into the American national automobile sport. It took four days for the group to agree on all the regulations, to choose the name of NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) and the Association was ultimately officially created on February 21, 1948.