Get up to speed on NASCAR's history

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From lowly origins in the deep Southern US, NASCAR racing has grown to unbelievable popularity around the entire nation. Over the many years, from the inaugural races conducted in 1948, NASCAR has grown to arguably the leading spectator sport in America. NASCAR, with the current NEXTEL Cup and Busch series, features 75 million loyal followers. Intriguing demographics depict that 40% of these are female and 53% function in white-collar or skilled labor jobs. Not your typical racing fan that many americans anticipate. The other spheres of fan interest are impressive also; yearly attendance at races is Above 7 million, upwards of 275 million Fans observe on the tube, and the product market tops $2 billion. Internet sites have also turned up carrying key NASCAR news items.

Observers who closely keep up with the NASCAR circuit give credit to various reasons for its considerable popularity over the years. A significant reason is a formula that nearly no other spectator sport utilizes. Weekly, the best teams (drivers) are contending directly against each other. Unlike, for instance the NFL, in which you might have to wait weeks for a momentous competition between leading teams, you can follow number 1 versus number 2 every week. It’s literally like having the World Series of this circuit every week.

How does NASCAR track its beginnings back to bootlegging? The business of bootlegging kept going even after the finish of the Prohibition period, as a result of the incredible tax placed on booze on repeal of the Volstead Act in 1933. As bootlegging prospered , the drivers started to race among themselves to see who had the fleetest cars. The bootleggers raced on Sunday afternoons and then employed the same automobiles to cart corn liquor Sunday night. As more and more observers came to view the competitions, racing moonshine cars became really popular in the backroads of the South.

The initial contests of what was to in the end become the NASCAR series were conducted in 1948 with customized pre-war cars, which later became the "modified" series. Some key milestones for the NASCAR Racing world across the many years include: --The first 500 mile race takes place at Darlington in 1950 --The first Daytona 500 takes place at Daytona International Speedway in 1959. --inaugural television report by CBS in 1960. --Buddy Baker exceeds the 200 mph barrier at Talladega in 1970. --A Gallup poll shows that 28% of Fans are “contend fans” in 1976.

NASCAR history has developed to a point where racing is no more a event just for Southern "rednecks". The success of the sport has developed from its Southeastern background to places across the nation producing NASCAR fans all through 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 contests held in Japan and other international destinations.

The start of NASCAR in the “bootlegging” era and the modest roots of numbers of of its original stars seems to be a positive factor to buffs nowadays. In this era of the spoiled, pampered, arrogant professional jock, NASCAR racing devotees appear to be looking for a down to earth, more grounded kind of hero to give their allegiance to.

The finish of World War II had an affect on the beginning of NASCAR. At the close of the war, the request for new cars in the U.S.A. made a considerable jump with the homecoming of the military personnel. The manufacturing might that produced the “weapons of war” turned to producing motorcars. Next came the arrival on the marketplace of fast, muscular and robust autos which were enjoyed by the young population of the time. The American West was impassioned for the "sports" cars, the Midwest for those with uncovered wheels, whereas the South-east chose the stock cars. A great deal of these were custom-made to carry out the illegal booze traffic and employed in the "competitions" that sprung up all over the Southland.

The American zeal for auto racing that evolved in the 1940’s did not escape the attention of promoters who quickly made an "official" event out of it, creating several organizations, each with their own system. Then on December 14, 1947, Bill France, determined to assemble with thirty five of the organizers of all racing associations in place to draw the lines of what was going to become the American national automobile sport. It took four times for the group to finalize on all the formulas, to pick the name of NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) and the Association was ultimately officially created on February 21, 1948.