NASCAR, the National Association for Stock Car Racing, was founded on Feb. 21, 1948, by a mechanic and auto-repair shop owner named William “Bill” France Sr. Watch the video above to learn moreIt started as a small organization and transformed into a multi-billion-dollar industry.Before the creation of NASCAR, car-racing enthusiasts would gather with little to no rules or regulations to see who was the fastest. France, the driving force behind NASCAR, saw a need to promote and sanction racing. He met with members of the racing community to discuss his idea which led to the creation of NASCAR in February 1948.The first NASCAR Strictly Stock Series race was held on June 19, 1949, at the Charlotte Speedway in North Carolina in front of a crowd of around 13,000. Jim Roper — who drove a Lincoln — was awarded first place along with the $2,000 prize after Glenn Dunaway was disqualified for having illegal rear springs on his Ford. Many new raceways were built in the years to follow, including the Daytona International Speedway in 1959 which houses the annual season opener, the Daytona 500.In the early years of NASCAR, competitors drove normal, everyday cars with minimal modifications and reached top speeds of around 68 mph. Today, drivers race highly customized vehicles that reach top speeds of around 200 mph. In 1972, France’s son, William France Jr., took over as the new president of NASCAR. He played a major role in transforming the company into the globally-watched sport it is today.
NASCAR, the National Association for Stock Car Racing, was founded on Feb. 21, 1948, by a mechanic and auto-repair shop owner named William “Bill” France Sr.
Watch the video above to learn more
It started as a small organization and transformed into a multi-billion-dollar industry.
Before the creation of NASCAR, car-racing enthusiasts would gather with little to no rules or regulations to see who was the fastest.
France, the driving force behind NASCAR, saw a need to promote and sanction racing. He met with members of the racing community to discuss his idea which led to the creation of NASCAR in February 1948.
The first NASCAR Strictly Stock Series race was held on June 19, 1949, at the Charlotte Speedway in North Carolina in front of a crowd of around 13,000. Jim Roper — who drove a Lincoln — was awarded first place along with the $2,000 prize after Glenn Dunaway was disqualified for having illegal rear springs on his Ford.
Many new raceways were built in the years to follow, including the Daytona International Speedway in 1959 which houses the annual season opener, the Daytona 500.
In the early years of NASCAR, competitors drove normal, everyday cars with minimal modifications and reached top speeds of around 68 mph. Today, drivers race highly customized vehicles that reach top speeds of around 200 mph.
In 1972, France’s son, William France Jr., took over as the new president of NASCAR. He played a major role in transforming the company into the globally-watched sport it is today.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)