The NASCAR history, from beginning until now.

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From grass roots origins in the deep Southland, NASCAR racing has matured to immense success around the entire nation. Across the decades, from the 1st races run in 1948, NASCAR has become arguably the number 1 spectator competition in The United States. NASCAR, with it’s current NEXTEL Cup and Busch series, counts 75 million truehearted fans. Fascinating demographics indicate that 40% of fans are female and 53% work in white-collar or skilled labor jobs. Not your normal racing fan that many observers anticipate. The additional areas of fan interest are solid also; annual attendance at contests is In excess of 7 million, upwards of 275 million People follow on the tube, and the products marketplace surpasses $2 billion. Internet sites have also popped up sporting key NASCAR news items.

The finish of World War II had an impact on the beginning of NASCAR. At the conclusion of the war, the request for new autos in the U.S.A. made a considerable jump with the homecoming of the soldiers. The manufacturing capacity that brought forth the “weapons of war” changed to constructing cars. Next followed the arrival on the market of fast, brawny and robust automobiles which were relished by the young population of the time. The American West was burning for the "sports" automobiles, the Midwest for those with uncovered wheels, while the South-east preferred the stock cars. A lot of these were modified to carry out the illegal alcohol traffic and employed in the "contests" that sprung up all over the South.

NASCAR history has matured to a point where racing is no more a spectator sport just for Southern "rednecks". The success of the sport has grown from its Southeastern roots to points across the country producing NASCAR fans all throughout the united States. NEXTEL Cup competitions are now run in New Hampshire, Michigan, California, Arizona, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Texas and Nevada. There have even been exhibition competitions held in Japan and other international venues.

People who closely follow the NASCAR races attribute a number of reasons for its great popularity over the many years. One major cause is a formula that practically no other spectator sport utilizes. Week in and week out, the top teams (drivers) are contending head to head against each other. Different from, for instance the NFL, where you could have to hold off weeks for a momentous competition between leading teams, you can follow number 1 versus number 2 every week. It’s almost like taking in the World Series of this sport every week.

The American zeal for auto racing that produced in the 1940’s did not escape the attention of boosters who promptly made an "official" sport out of it, producing numbers of organizations, each with their own formulas. Then on December 14, 1947, Bill France, determined to meet with thirty five of the leaders of all racing associations in place to produce the lines of what was going to turn into the American national automobile sport. It took four times for the group to settle on all the rules, to pick out the name of NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) and the Association was finally officially created on February 21, 1948.

The 1st races of what was to finally turn into the NASCAR series were started in 1948 with customized pre-war autos, which later became the "modified" series. Some important milestones for the NASCAR Racing world across the years include: --The inaugural 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 brings out that 28% of Americans are “contend fans” in 1976.

The start of NASCAR in the “bootlegging” times and the modest start of many of its first heroes seems to be motivating to followers today. In this time of the spoiled, pampered, arrogant pro jock, NASCAR racing followers appear to be searching for a normal, more grounded type of champion to give their allegiance to.

How does NASCAR draw its roots back to bootlegging? The business of bootlegging kept going even after the conclusion of the Prohibition era, because of the large tax set on spirits on repeal of the Volstead Act in 1933. As bootlegging expanded , the drivers began to contend between themselves to determine who had the swiftest cars. The bootleggers competed on Sunday afternoons and then used the same autos to carry moonshine Sunday night. As more and more people came to observe the races, racing moonshine autos became very popular in the backroads of the Southland.