| In 1947, the sport of stock car racing was | | | | |
| becoming extremely popular and beginning to | | | | With the growing success of this new sport, |
| draw large crowds of spectators. More drivers | | | | Bill France Sr. began construction of a 2.5 |
| began taking an interest due to the | | | | mile, high-banked superspeedway located four |
| increasing fan popularity. Cohesiveness, | | | | miles from the beach in Daytona. France |
| however, did not exist as rules differed from | | | | fought to keep racing affiliated with Daytona |
| one racetrack to the next. Several tracks | | | | as others looked to the Bonneville Salt Flats |
| were built to produce one big show at a | | | | in Utah to avoid the outgoing tides at |
| county fair, or similar event, in order to | | | | Daytona Beach. Despite the desire of the city |
| capitalize on the crowds of fans that were | | | | of Daytona hold onto it's beach racing |
| beginning to form. Other tracks, however, | | | | attraction, NASCAR quickly outgrew the beach. |
| were built more toward handling the cars and | | | | In 1949, NASCAR moved it's events to the |
| not the crowds. Some tracks could accommodate | | | | Daytona International Speedway. The first |
| both the fans and the cars, but did little to | | | | Daytona 500 continued for 3 days due to a |
| adhere to the rules governing the neighboring | | | | dispute over the actual winner, which was |
| tracks. | | | | later proven to be Lee Petty, after careful |
| | | | study of a photograph of the finish. |
| In late 1947, on a December day in Florida, | | | | |
| Bill France Sr. organized a meeting at the | | | | In 1960, superspeedways opened just outside |
| Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach. His focus | | | | of Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, North |
| for the meeting was to discuss the matters | | | | Carolina. In 1961, ABC televised a race from |
| facing the future of stock car racing. From | | | | Daytona. In 1969, Alabama International Motor |
| this meeting emerged, what is now known as, | | | | Speedway (now known as Talladega |
| NASCAR (The National Association of Stock Car | | | | Superspeedway) was opened by Bill France Sr. |
| Auto Racing). When the meeting adjourned, few | | | | In later years, Bill Sr. passed the torch of |
| people had faith in the new organization or | | | | leadership to his son, Bill Jr. and corporate |
| it's future. France, however, knew otherwise. | | | | sponsorships began to arise as NASCAR went on |
| In fact, he believed that a sanctioning body | | | | to become the leader in worldwide motorsports |
| was exactly what the sport needed, but even | | | | attendance. In 1979, the Daytona 500 was |
| he could not have imagined what he created on | | | | telecast in it's entirety. By 1989, every |
| that December day. | | | | race on the NASCAR schedule was broadcast. |
| | | | |
| The sport of NASCAR began to take shape | | | | Since the beginning of NASCAR, new additions |
| rather quickly. After two months, the | | | | have been added to include the NASCAR |
| inaugural NASCAR-sanctioned race was held on | | | | Craftsman Truck and Busch Grand National |
| Daytona's Beach Course. Red Byron, a stock | | | | series. New drivers emerge every year to take |
| car legend, drove his Ford Modified to win | | | | their shot at stardom. For many, it's a |
| the event on February 15, 1948. It wasn't | | | | lifelong dream to drive NASCAR and compete |
| until the following year that what we now | | | | for the glorious title of 'Champion.' At the |
| know as NASCAR Nextel Cup Series began. The | | | | end of the season, points are tallied to see |
| first ever NASCAR Grand National (now known | | | | who has ran the most consistently throughout |
| as Nextel Cup) event was held at the | | | | the year and that person becomes that year's |
| Charlotte, North Carolina fairgrounds. A huge | | | | NASCAR champion for their respected series. |
| crowd gathered to see Jim Roper of Kansas win | | | | |
| this historic race. | | | | With the extreme growth of NASCAR through the |
| | | | years, fans have demanded more opportunities |
| The new series was an instant success and | | | | to enjoy their favorite sport. The |
| plans were ongoing to bring in larger crowds, | | | | organization heard their voices and decided |
| more drivers and faster races. In 1950, | | | | to build NASCAR Thunder, a chain of |
| Darlington Raceway, the country's first | | | | officially-licensed apparel and souvenir |
| asphalt superspeedway, opened it's doors for | | | | stores, and the NASCAR Café, which |
| the new division. The first decade for NASCAR | | | | incorporates racing with dining for a full |
| was one of tremendous growth and popularity. | | | | racing experience for all NASCAR fans. After |
| Drivers became heroes and skeptics became | | | | 58 years, the sport continues to grow with |
| race fans. Names like Lee Petty, Fireball | | | | fans who travel across the country to see |
| Roberts and Buck Baker were to racing as | | | | their favorite driver chase the checkered |
| Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and 'The Duke' | | | | flag and, ultimately, a NASCAR championship. |
| were to baseball. | | | | |