Where did NASCAR originate?

Question

Where did NASCAR originate?

Answer 1

Daytona

Answer 2

Alright, this is from NASCAR's media-only website...

History of NASCAR

In the years immediately following World War II, stock car racing was experiencing the greatest popularity it had ever seen. Tracks throughout the country were drawing more drivers, and bigger crowds.

Nonetheless, there was a serious lack of organization. From track to track, rules were different.  Some tracks were makeshift facilities, producing one big show at a county fair or something similar to capitalize on the crowds flocking to the events. Other tracks were more suited to handle the cars, but not the crowds. Some could manage both, but did little to adhere to rules set by other tracks.

In December of 1947, Bill France Sr., of Daytona Beach, Fla., organized a meeting at the Streamline Hotel across the street from the Atlantic Ocean to discuss the problems facing stock car racing.

France had come to Florida from Washington, D.C., years earlier. He operated a local service station and also promoted races on the city's famed beach-road courses, often racing himself. He was a man of strong will – and ambition. Thus, by the time that meeting at the Streamline Hotel was completed, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing was born.  Few knew when the meeting adjourned if the organization would be successful. In fact, there were skeptics who believed it never would work.

Not even France, who believed a sanctioning body was exactly what stock car racing needed, could have envisioned what NASCAR has become today.

Things came together quickly. The first NASCAR-sanctioned race was held on Daytona's beach-road course Feb. 15, 1948, just two months after the organizational meeting. Red Byron, a stock car legend from Atlanta, won the event in a Ford Modified. Six days later on Feb. 21, 1948, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing was incorporated.

It was 1949, however, when what is now the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the premier racing division in America, was born.

Jim Roper of Great Bend, Kan., was the winner of the first ever NASCAR Grand National (now NASCAR Sprint Cup) event, held at the Charlotte (N.C.) Fairgrounds on June 19, 1949. A tremendous crowd attended the event to see race cars that looked like passenger cars compete door-to-door. The new racing series was off-and-running. And it was an immediate success.

Plans immediately were made to bring bigger, faster races to bigger, hungrier crowds and less than a year later (1950), the country's first asphalt superspeedway, Darlington Raceway in South Carolina, opened its doors for the new division.

The first decade for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was one of tremendous growth. Characters became heroes and fans hung on every turn of the wheel, watching drivers manhandle cars at speeds fans wished they could legally run themselves.

Names like Lee Petty, Fireball Roberts, Buck Baker, Herb Thomas, the Flock brothers, Bill Rexford, Paul Goldsmith and others became as well-known to race fans as Willie, Mickey and the Duke were to baseball fans.

Looking to the future, and invigorated with the success of Darlington, Bill France Sr., began construction of a 2.5-mile, high-banked superspeedway four miles off the beach in Daytona Beach.

France had helped lead the fight to keep racing affiliated with the city. When those looking to set land speed records began opting for the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah so the incoming and outgoing tides at Daytona Beach would not be a factor, the city wanted to maintain one of its main attractions – fast cars and the beach. By the end of NASCAR's first decade, the city not only had held on to its racing roots, but had outgrown the beach and, in 1959, moved events to Daytona International Speedway. With its long back straightaway and sweeping high-banked turns of more than 30 degrees, the 2.5-mile tri-oval was one of the largest speedways in the world.

In the first race, fans were treated to something that each year still brings millions of fans to NASCAR races – close competition. The first Daytona 500 didn't end, technically, for three days. It took that long for NASCAR officials to study a photograph of the finish between Petty and Johnny Beauchamp before declaring Petty the winner.

The hook had been set.

The following year (1960), superspeedways were opened just outside Atlanta and Charlotte. ABC televised the 1961 Firecracker 250 from Daytona Beach as part of its "Wide World of Sports."

As the sport expanded, new heroes emerged.

Lee Petty's son Richard, who would eventually be referred to as "The King" of stock car racing, Buddy Baker, Cale Yarborough, Ned Jarrett, David Pearson and Bobby Allison led NASCAR racing through an era that featured a schedule of more than 60 races a year on tracks from Florida to California to Maine.

Fan interest grew and the demand for bigger, faster tracks was heard. In 1969, France opened the 2.66-mile Alabama International Motor Speedway (now known as Talladega Superspeedway), the largest and fastest motorsports oval in the world. New tracks sprang up in Brooklyn, Mich., (70 miles Southwest of Detroit), Dover, Del., (between Philadelphia and Baltimore) and Pocono, Pa., two hours from New York City).

The decade of the 1970s brought further change, including one at the top when Bill France Sr., passed the torch of leadership of NASCAR to his son Bill Jr. on Jan. 10, 1972.

Corporate sponsorship of the series by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company through its Winston brand began in 1971 and NASCAR's premier division became known as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Reynolds' involvement later led to the NASCAR Winston West Series and the NASCAR Winston Racing Series (now NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series) – weekly events held at  tracks nationwide with drivers vying for ten regional titles, a national championship, and today, a point fund worth over $1.7 million.

In 1976, NASCAR's premier division took the lead in worldwide motorsports attendance for the first time with more than 1.4 million spectators making their way to events, according to figures from the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. That lead never has been relinquished.

Television exposure grew as well. The 1979 Daytona 500 became the first 500-mile race in history to be telecast live in its entirety. In 1980, NASCAR moved it annual awards ceremony to New York City from Daytona Beach for the first time.

By the mid 1980s, Fortune 500 companies not only were involved in sponsoring NASCAR, but individual races and teams as well.

Drivers such as Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott and others were rising to challenge Petty and Allison and Yarborough, displaying the colors of detergents and coffees and cereals on the hoods of their cars while doing it.

Major consumer packaging companies like Kellogg’s, General Foods, and Procter & Gamble were realizing what Bill France knew in the late 1940s – stock car racing had a fervently loyal fan following.

In 1982, NASCAR consolidated the Late Model Sportsman Division into a new series.  Since rising costs had made weekly racing for the Late Model stock cars difficult, the idea behind the creation of the series was to build big races, and to bring all of the regional-stars of the series together for all of the races.

Anheuser-Busch, Inc. of St. Louis, Mo., became the sponsor of the new NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series. In 1984, the Busch brand took over the sponsorship in what would become the NASCAR Busch Series. Starting in 2007, the series will be known as the NASCAR Nationwide Series, via a new sponsorship deal with one the world’s largest insurance providers.

By 1989, just 10 years after the first 500-mile race to be broadcast live flag-to-flag, every race on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup schedule was televised, nearly all of them live.

As the decade of the 1990s began, perhaps no one but the sports visionaries could have imagined the growth NASCAR would undertake. Without question it was an exciting time. NASCAR began its meteoric rise by expansion in 1993 to New Hampshire International Speedway – 70 miles north of Boston – and in 1994, to the famed “Brickyard,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In May of 1994, NASCAR introduced a new series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, involving full-sized, full-bodied pickup trucks. After several exhibition events, the first point event in the new series was held in February of 1995.

At the same time, NASCAR’s at-track attendance was growing monumentally. The NASCAR Lifestyle was becoming a national phenomenon with cover stories in Forbes and Sports Illustrated. To help feed the tremendous growth, NASCAR launched its official website in 1995 (www.nascar.com) and in 1997, NASCAR branched out again adding races in top 10 markets like Los Angeles, Dallas/Ft. Worth and added a second date in New Hampshire.

The 1998 season marked the celebration of NASCAR’s 50th Anniversary, celebrating NASCAR’s past, present and future. NASCAR’s top division expanded once again, this time to Las Vegas.

From 1993 to 1998, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at-track attendance alone grew 57% (by 2.2 million) to over 6.3 million and its top three divisions combined grew a staggering 80% (by 4.1 million), to over 9.3 million.

Topping off NASCAR’s explosion in the `90s was the announcement in November 1999 of a consolidated television package with FOX Sports/FX and NBC Sports/TNT for NASCAR’s top two series beginning in 2001. At the same time, DaimlerChrysler announced intentions to return its Dodge nameplate to NASCAR’s top division for 2001, after a 15-year hiatus. In 2007 a new TV package was introduced, with ABC and ESPN returning to the NASCAR fold.

As the sports fan base grew, NASCAR grew internally as well. In November of 2000, Mike Helton became the third president in NASCAR history as the to

Answer 3

From moonshine runners.

Answer 4

Just so you know, Prohibition means that all alcoholic drinks like wine, beer and whiskey etc., are banned 'for-sale' to anybody and is illegal to have in your possession period. When prohibition took place in the United States, southerners started making there own alcohol called 'Moonshine' in a contraption known as a "Still". They were already good at it.

The problem was that the Feds(cops/ government) started raiding these 'stills' hidden in the vast woods of the south and would catch people driving with gallons of moonshine in jugs in there trunk on there way to sell it to there buyers.

The legal penalty's were stiff once you got caught so Moonshiners started modifying there cars to outrun the feds cars. They were cleverly innovative with 'one wheel brakes' to spin the car(U-Turn) 180 degrees on the dirt roads, 'two shocks per wheel' instead of one to handle better,(quote from Nascar/American legend Junior Johnson) And many more.

Small, oval, dirt tracks started popping up in the south and the said moonshiners would race there cars in a legal setting on Saturday nights to supplement there moonshine money.

Once prohibition was lifted, the 'stills' went dry so the only real money to be made in the small, rural towns of the south was in racing so they continued on.

When promotors started taking off with all the prize money while the race was going on, drivers got discouraged to even come to the track.

That's where Bill France saw the need for an organized racing association with "Guaranteed Prize Money". NASCAR, The National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing was formed and the rest is history.

Answer 5

who cares?

as long as kasey kahne is racing, im perfectly happy

Answer 6

Outer Mongolia. Ming the Merciless rode the #3 yak  to several victories after putting other riders into the fence. His spirit lives on today in Kyle Busch.

Answer 7

i learned as a little girl from my dad how NASCAR got stared...you see moonshine was illegal back in the 1920's prohabition. so these people made illegal moonshine and went town to twon to sell it.

not to mention they learned how to drive real fast to get away from the law in case they got caught. if they got caught it was a 10 year in  prison for making and distribution illegal alcohol during the prohabition.

after  the prohabition was lifted they came up with racing on dirt. and NASCAR just grew to become the most popular sport in racing today!  did you know DAYTONA 500 only went 210 laps back in the day, and it was run on dirt with some of the greats! like ralph earnhardt, jimmy boy toy roberts, and my grand dad... but i will not display his name....

alot of these racers, learned from the dad's who learned from there fathers, back in the prohabition  years!

Answer 8

Running moonshine in the prohibition days in the deep south.

Answer 9

srjrfans right and this eventually became racing wich led to Daytona wich led to the Daytona 500

wich led to NASCAR

Answer 10

MOONSHINERS and them guys back then would'nt think of toyotas and they used to burn hondas

Answer 11

Who was Bill France Sr. and Why Did He Start NASCAR?

Bill France Sr. was born on September 26th, 1909 and grew up near Washington, DC.

In his younger years he taught himself mechanics and took formal training in banking. Bill France's first "real" job was as a bank clerk. However that was short-lived since Bill didn't feel that banking was his calling.

The Motorsports Bug Bites

In the early 1930s Bill France was working as a mechanic and had opened his own garage near Washington, DC. In his free time he was also racing the local dirt track circuit.

Bill France Moves South

In 1934 Bill France Sr. moved from Washington, DC to Daytona Beach Florida. Actually, Bill intended to move to Miami but his car broke down in Daytona Beach. He liked the area so he decided to stay there.

At that time Daytona Beach was famous for its land speed record attempts along the beach.

However, the larger, safer, Bonneville Salt Flats had just opened and Daytona was losing much of its speed record appeal.



Bill Finds Success In Daytona

In 1936 Daytona Beach held its first beach/road course race. By then Bill France was a local gas station owner and was active in the local racing scene. Bill France Sr. entered and finished fifth in that first race.

Just a few years later Bill France Sr. was asked to run the races as promoter. Bill was not enthusiastic about taking on the job. However, after failing to find anyone else who would do it, Bill agreed.

The Grand Idea

After taking time off to work in the Daytona Boat Works during World War II. Bill France returned to motorsports, promoting races on the Daytona Beach/Road course.

Bill France was getting frustrated with unscrupulous race promoters who would promise big paydays and then take off with the money. He also felt that drivers could earn more money and have better races if there was a common set of rules and a strong sanctioning body to back them up.

In December of 1947 Bill gathered together a group of race promoters, officials and drivers in the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida to discuss the idea. After a series of discussions NASCAR was officially born on February 21st, 1948.

The First NASCAR Sprint Cup Race

The first "strictly stock" series event (strictly stock would eventually go on to become the Sprint Cup Series) was held on June 19th, 1949. This race was held at Charlotte Speedway, a 3/4 mile dirt track in Charlotte, NC.

In that race Glenn Dunnaway crossed the finish line first but was later disqualified for having illegal rear shocks. So Jim Roper in a 1949 Lincoln was awarded the win and the $2,000 top prize.

NASCAR was born.

Answer 12

Texas

Answer 13

Wilkes County, North Carolina

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nascar#Earl...