Read about the history of NASCAR

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From modest beginnings in the deep South, NASCAR racing has developed to almost unbelievable success throughout the whole country. Through the many years, from the beginning races started in 1948, NASCAR has risen to arguably the most popular spectator sport in America. NASCAR, with the current NEXTEL Cup and Busch series, touts 75 million fanatical buffs. Fascinating demographics reveal that 40% of those are female and 53% function in white-collar or skilled labor jobs. Not your typical racing buff that most people anticipate. The additional points of fan interest are solid also; annual attendance at raceways is Upwards of 7 million, more than of 275 million Race fans observe on tV, and the wares market tops $2 billion. Websites have also popped up carrying key NASCAR news items.

How does NASCAR trace its background back to bootlegging? The business of bootlegging kept going even after the end of the Prohibition period, due to the large tax set on whiskey on repeal of the Volstead Act in 1933. As bootlegging boomed , the drivers commenced to race between themselves to determine who had the fastest cars. The bootleggers battled on Sunday afternoons and then employed the same automobiles to cart corn liquor Sunday night. As more and more people came to observe the contests, racing moonshine automobiles became highly popular in the backroads of the Southland.

The finish of World War II had an impact on the start of NASCAR. At the close of the war, the desire for new autos in the United States made a large leap with the homecoming of the troops. The manufacturing might that developed the “weapons of war” shifted to making autos. Next came the arrival on the market of speedy, muscular and robust cars which were loved by the young population of the time. The American West was burning for the "sports" automobiles, the Midwest for those with uncovered wheels, whereas the South-east picked the stock cars. A number of these were customized to carry out the illegal alcohol traffic and utilized in the "competitions" that sprung up all over the South.

Those who closely observe the NASCAR races give credit to several factors for its considerable success over the decades. A significant reason is a convention that literally no other spectator event matches. Each Week, the tp[ teams (drivers) are battling directly against each other. Unlike, for instance the NFL, where you may have to wait weeks for a momentous matchup between top tier teams, you can observe number 1 versus number 2 every week. It’s virtually like experiencing the World Series of this circuit every week.

The initial competitions of what was to in the end turn into the NASCAR series were held in 1948 with modified pre-war autos, which later became the "modified" series. Some important milestones for the NASCAR Racing world through the decades include: --The initial 500 mile race takes place at Darlington in 1950 --The first Daytona 500 takes place at Daytona International Speedway in 1959. --initial television report by CBS in 1960. --Buddy Baker goes past the 200 mph limitation at Talladega in 1970. --A Gallup poll unveils that 28% of Race fans are “race followers” in 1976.

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

The lineage of NASCAR in the “bootlegging” times and the modest background of a lot of of its original headliners seems to be motivating to followers now. In this day of the spoiled, pampered, arrogant professional athlete, NASCAR racing devotees appear to be searching for a down to earth, more grounded kind of champion to give their commitment to.

The American craving for auto racing that grown in the 1940’s did not escape the attention of boosters who quickly made an "official" competition out of it, making quite a few organizations, each with their own formulas. Then on December 14, 1947, Bill France, decided to meet with thirty five of the organizers of all racing associations in place to draw the outline of what was going to turn into the American national automobile sport. It required four times for the group to settle on all the formulas, to decide on the name of NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) and the Association was in the end officially created on February 21, 1948.