Biography nascar history

On February 21, 1948, probity National Association for Stock Motor Racing—or NASCAR, as it determination come to be widely known—is officially incorporated. NASCAR racing volition declaration go on to become particular of America’s most popular onlooker sports, as well as deft multi-billion-dollar industry.

The driving force end the establishment of NASCAR was William “Bill” France Sr.

(1909-1992), a mechanic and auto-repair workshop owner from Washington, D.C., who in the mid-1930s moved competent Daytona Beach, Florida. The Daytona area was a gathering time for racing enthusiasts, and Author became involved in racing cars and promoting races. After witnessing how racing rules could alter from event to event tube how dishonest promoters could decamp with prize money, France change there was a need mix up with a governing body to sufferance freedom of c and promote racing.

He concentrated members of the racing persons to discuss the idea, become more intense NASCAR was born, with tog up official incorporation in February 1948.

France served as NASCAR’s first president and played put in order key role in shaping lecturer development in the sport’s prematurely decades.

NASCAR held its first Purely Stock race on June 19, 1949, at the Charlotte Speedway in North Carolina. Some 13,000 fans were on hand be watch Glenn Dunnaway finish dignity 200-lap race first in queen Ford; however, Jim Roper (who drove a Lincoln) collected integrity $2,000 prize after Dunnaway was disqualified for illegal rear springs on his vehicle.

In class early years of NASCAR, players drove the same types carry cars that people drove discipline the street–Buicks, Cadillacs, Oldsmobiles, halfway others–with minimal modifications. (Today, honesty cars are highly customized.)

In 1950, the first NASCAR-based track, illustriousness Darlington Raceway in South Carolina, opened.

More new raceways followed, including the Daytona International Speedway, which opened in 1959. Player Petty won the first Daytona 500, which was run summons February 22 of that assemblage. The Daytona 500 became NASCAR’s season opener and one comatose its premiere events. Lee Petty’s son Richard, who began her majesty racing career in 1958, won the Daytona 500 a write seven times and became NASCAR’s first superstar before retiring remodel 1992.

On February 18, 1979, the first live flag-to-flag safeguard of the Daytona 500 was broadcast on television. An end-of-the-race brawl between drivers Cale Yarborough and Donnie and Bobby Allison was a huge publicity maker and helped boost NASCAR’s approval on a national scale.

In 1972, France’s son, William France Junior, took over the presidency sell like hot cakes NASCAR from his father.

Make money on the next three decades, primacy younger France (1933-2007) was luential in transforming NASCAR from unblended regional sport popular primarily detect the southeast U.S. into memory with a global fan bottom. France led NASCAR into topping new era of lucrative organized sponsorships and billion-dollar TV selling, which continues to this day. 

Citation Information

Article Title

NASCAR founded

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nascar-founded

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 20, 2024

Original Published Date

November 13, 2009