NASCAR History From Then to Today

By: Gus Waits


The history of NASCAR is one riddled with influential people. More than most professional sports, NASCAR was founded and has been maintained through the work of a few special individuals, none more special than William France, Sr.

France founded NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) on February 21st, 1948. France and a few other prominent drivers sketched out the points system on a bar room napkin, and the history of NASCAR had begun. The 1948 schedule included 52 modified races on dirt tracks, and Red Byron won the first National Championship that year.

The Beginnings

Named its first commissioner, Erwin "Cannonball" Baker had a big impact on the history of NASCAR. An accomplished racer who set dozens of land speed records himself (hence his nickname), Baker allowed almost no changes to the cars that were raced.

Glenn Dunnaway became the first NASCAR driver to be disqualified after it was discovered that he had altered the rear springs in his cars. However, over a 10-15 year period, modifications were allowed for safety and performance periods, until by the mid-1960s almost all stock cars were built solely for the purpose of racing them.

Most NASCAR race tracks were from half a mile to a mile long, and the action in a relatively compact area added to the excitement of the sport. Some of the earlier tracks, such as the Martinsville Speedway and the Darlington Raceway are still in use today. Even the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which has been in existence since 1909, is still being used. However, the most famous race track of the NEXTEL Cup Series, the Daytona International Speedway was built in 1959, with a length of 2.5 miles.

The Later Years

In the early 1970s, the history of NASCAR took a dramatic turn. It increased in popularity due in large part to an altered points system as well as new sponsorship including the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.

In 1979, the Daytona 500 was shown on CBS, making it the first NASCAR race to be shown from start to finish on television. Going into the last lap, leaders Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison got into a wreck, allowing a third driver to pass them both for the win. Yarborough and Allison got into a fistfight, and the drama and emotion that was shown in that race might be the defining moment in the history of NASCAR. Its popularity has steadily increased since.

Today, NASCAR is one of the most popular and profitable sports in America. The 2006 NEXTEL Cup Season consisted of 36 races run over a 10 month period, each race with at least million in prize money. With the sport gaining credibility and its drivers gaining immense popularity over the last ten years, it may be said that the history of NASCAR is just beginning.


Mad about NASCAR? At www.stockcarcrashes.com you can watch videos of NASCAR crashes.