| Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing | | | | "fast-back", and because of this David Pearson |
| found mainly in the United States and Great | | | | and Richard Petty's Chargers dominated the |
| Britain held largely on oval rings of between | | | | series that year. |
| approximately a quarter-mile and 2.66 miles (about | | | | The 1969 season was dominated by the Dodge |
| 0.4 to 4.2 kilometres) in length, but also raced | | | | Daytona due to a radical body shape change. This |
| occasionally on road courses. Ovals shorter than | | | | car exceed 200 MPH which was a significant |
| one mile (1.6 km) are called short tracks; unpaved | | | | improvement over their competitors (180 MPH |
| short tracks are called dirt tracks; longer ovals are | | | | was common at the time). Richard Petty could |
| typically known as superspeedways. Top level | | | | not come to contractual terms with Dodge |
| races are generally 200 to 600 miles (300-1000 | | | | before the 1969 season, but when he saw the |
| km) in length. Average speeds in the top classes | | | | Daytona, he demanded that Plymouth make |
| are around 160 mph (275.5 km/h), compared to | | | | something similar, but they declined (for the time |
| 220 mph (354 km/h) in comparable levels of open | | | | being). He signed a lucrative deal with Ford and |
| wheel racing. Some NASCAR races can get up to | | | | they made the Torino "Talladega" which had |
| speeds of 200 mph at tracks such as the | | | | enough aerodynamic body improvements that it |
| Daytona International Speedway and the | | | | gave the Torino a higher top speed with no other |
| Talladega Superspeedway. | | | | changes. It was not enough, however, to catch |
| Stock Cars | | | | the Daytona. NASCAR feared that these |
| A stock car, in the original sense of the term, is | | | | increasing speeds significantly surpassed the |
| an automobile that has not been modified from its | | | | abilities of the tire technology of the day, and it |
| original factory configuration. Later the term stock | | | | would undoubtedly increase the number of |
| car came to mean any production-based | | | | gruesome wrecks that were occurring. As a |
| automobile used in racing. This term was used to | | | | result, the 1970 Homologation rules were changed |
| differentiate such a car from a race car, a special, | | | | so that one car for every two U.S. dealers had to |
| custom-built car designed only for racing purposes | | | | be sold to the public to qualify, hoping to delay the |
| with no intent of its ever being used as regular | | | | use of aero-bodies until tires could improve. |
| transportation. | | | | For the 1970 season Dodge did not sell enough |
| When NASCAR was first formed by Bill France | | | | Daytonas to compete with their aero-body, but |
| Sr. in 1948 to regulate stock car racing, there | | | | Plymouth managed to sell over 1,920 Plymouth |
| was a requirement that any car entered be made | | | | Superbirds, which were almost identical to the |
| entirely of parts available to the general public | | | | Daytona. Petty came back to Plymouth in the |
| through automobile dealers, and that all cars must | | | | 200+ MPH Superbird, and easily won in 1970, and |
| be from a model run of which at least 500 cars | | | | '71. This led to several makes of proposed 1972 |
| of that model were sold to the general public. This | | | | "aero-cars" having their maximum engine |
| is referred to as "homologation". In NASCAR's | | | | displacement decreased to 5.8L (358 cu.in.) or |
| early years, the cars were so "stock" that it was | | | | they could remain at 7.0L with a Restrictor plate |
| commonplace for the drivers to drive themselves | | | | to limit top speeds. As a result, Ford dropped out |
| to the competitions in the car that they were | | | | of NASCAR for several years. |
| going to run in the race. While automobile engine | | | | Fans, drivers, and manufacturers alike demanded |
| technology had remained fairly stagnant in WWII, | | | | a complete revamping of the rules. NASCAR |
| advanced aircraft piston engine development had | | | | responded in a way that they hoped would make |
| provided a great deal of available data, and | | | | the cars safer and more equal, so the race series |
| NASCAR was formed just as some the improved | | | | would be more a test of the drivers, rather than |
| technology was about to become available in | | | | a test of car technology. |
| production cars. Until the advent of the Trans-Am | | | | The Modern Era |
| series in 1967, NASCAR homologation cars were | | | | 1972 brought so many rule changes, it has |
| the closest thing that the public could buy that | | | | prompted many to consider this year as the start |
| was actually very similar to the cars that were | | | | of the modern era of NASCAR racing. In addition, |
| winning the national races. | | | | R.J. Reynolds (the tobacco conglomorate) took |
| The Early Years | | | | over as the major sponsor of NASCAR racing |
| The 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket V-8 with a | | | | (changing the name to the "Winston Cup") and |
| displacement of 303 cu.in. is widely recognized as | | | | they made a significantly larger financial |
| the first postwar modern overhead valve (OHV) | | | | contribution than previous sponsors. Richard |
| engine to become available to the public, though all | | | | Petty's personal sponsorship with STP also set |
| the major manufacturers were also in the | | | | new, higher standards for financial rewards to |
| process of modernising their engine designs. The | | | | driving teams. The sudden infusion of noticeably |
| Oldsmobile was an immediate success in 1949 and | | | | larger amounts of money changed the entire |
| 1950, and all the automobile manufacturers could | | | | nature of the sport. |
| not help but to notice that its victories resulted in | | | | The 1973 oil crisis meant that large displacement |
| noticeably higher sales of the Oldsmobile 88 to | | | | special edition homologation cars of all makes |
| the buying public. The motto of the day became | | | | were suddenly sitting unsold. From this point |
| "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday". However, in | | | | forward, stock cars were quickly allowed to differ |
| spite of the fact there were several competing | | | | greatly from anything available to the public. |
| engines that were more advanced, the | | | | Modern racing "stock" cars are stock in name |
| aerodynamic and low-slung Hudson Hornet | | | | only, using a body template that is vaguely |
| managed to win in 1951, '52, and '53, with a 308 | | | | modeled after currently-available automobiles. The |
| cu.in. inline 6-cylinder that used an old-style | | | | chassis, running gear, and other equipment have |
| flathead, proving there was more to winning than | | | | almost nothing to do with anything in ordinary |
| just a more powerful engine. | | | | automobiles. |
| At the time it typically took three years for a | | | | Modern stock cars may superficially resemble |
| new design of car body or engine to end up in | | | | standard American family sedans, but are in fact |
| production and be available for NASCAR racing. | | | | purpose-built racing machines built to a strict set |
| Most cars sold to the public did not have a wide | | | | of regulations governing the car design ensuring |
| variety of engine choices, and the majority of the | | | | that the chassis, suspension , engine, etc. are |
| buying public at the time were not interested in | | | | architecturally identical on all vehicles. Ironically, |
| the large displacement special edition engine | | | | these regulations ensure that stock car racers are |
| options that would soon become popular. | | | | in many ways technologically less sophisticated |
| However, the end of the Korean War in 1953 | | | | than standard cars on the road. For example, |
| started an economic boom, and then car buyers | | | | NASCAR (the premier stock car organization in |
| immediately began demanding more powerful | | | | the U.S.) requires carbureted engines in all of its |
| engines. Also in 1953, NASCAR recommended | | | | racing series, while fuel injection is now universal in |
| that the drivers add roll bars, but did not require | | | | standard passenger cars. Also, the majority of |
| them. | | | | production car engines use a double overhead |
| An excellent example of Homologation is when | | | | cam (DOHC) and four valves per cylinder, while |
| Lee Petty won the national championship in 1954, | | | | NASCAR vehicles are restricted to two |
| when he raced a Chrysler New Yorker with the | | | | valves-per-cylinder actuated by pushrods using a |
| largest factory brakes available, using a Dodge | | | | single cam-in-block. Modern NASCAR engines are |
| automotive Hemi V-8 engine with a heavy-duty | | | | restricted to a maximum displacement of 358 cu. |
| Dodge truck transmission. Dodge was a division of | | | | in. (5.8L) even though there are still many |
| Chrysler, and all of the parts he used were | | | | production engines available to the public that are |
| available to the general public. | | | | noticeably larger. In addition, The Ford Fusion, |
| In 1955 Chrysler produced the C-300 with its 300 | | | | Dodge Avenger, Chevrolet Impala, and Toyota |
| HP 331 cu in OHV engine, which easily won in 1955 | | | | Camry that will compete in the 2007 season are |
| and '56. | | | | all front-wheel-drive sedans, but the NASCAR |
| In 1957 several notable events happened. The | | | | versions continue to use rear-wheel-drive. |
| AMA banned manufacturers from using race wins | | | | Engines, while still containing varying components |
| in their advertising and giving direct support to | | | | from the various manufacturers who compete in |
| race teams, as they felt it led to reckless street | | | | the series, are of fixed displacement, and are |
| racing. This forced manufacturers to become | | | | generally designed to ensure all entrants have |
| creative in producing race parts to help racers win. | | | | near-equal vehicles. There are several categories |
| Race teams were often caught trying to use | | | | of stock car racing, each with slightly different |
| factory produced racing parts that were not | | | | rules, but the key intention of cars that look like |
| really available to the public, though many parts | | | | production cars, but with near-identical |
| passed muster by being labeled as heavy-duty | | | | specifications underneath, remains true. The |
| "Police" parts. Car manufacturers wanted to | | | | super-speedways continue to require the use of a |
| appear compliant with the ban, but they also | | | | restrictor plate under each carburetor to limit top |
| wanted to win. NASCAR tracks at the time were | | | | speeds, while the shorter tracks do not require |
| mainly dirt tracks with modest barriers, and during | | | | them. |
| the 1957 season a Mercury Monterey crashed | | | | The closest European equivalent to stock car |
| into the crowd. This killed many spectators, and | | | | racing is probably touring car racing, though these |
| resulted in a serious overhaul of the safety rules | | | | are raced exclusively on road courses rather than |
| which in turn prompted the building of larger more | | | | ovals. |
| modern tracks. Also in 1957, Chevrolet sold | | | | 'True' stock car racing, which consists of only |
| enough of their new fuel injected engines to the | | | | street vehicles that can be bought by general |
| public in order to make them available for racing | | | | public, is sometimes now called showroom stock |
| (and Ford began selling superchargers as an | | | | racing. In 1972 (same year as the beginning of |
| option), but Bill France immediately banned fuel | | | | modern NASCAR era), SCCA started its first |
| injection and superchargers from NASCAR before | | | | showroom stock racing series, with a price ceiling |
| they could race. However, even without official | | | | on the cars of $3,000. Some modern showroom |
| factory support or the use of fuel injection, Buck | | | | stock racing allow safety modifications done on |
| Baker won in 1957 driving a small-block V-8 | | | | showroom stock cars. |
| Chevy Bel-Air. | | | | Stock car series |
| In 1959 Daytona opened the first | | | | The most prominent championship in stock car |
| super-speedway with long straights and highly | | | | racing is the NASCAR championship, currently |
| banked turns, which allowed much higher top | | | | called the Nextel Cup after its sponsor (formerly |
| speeds, and it was soon followed by the Talladega | | | | known as Winston Cup after a previous sponsor). |
| super-speedway. | | | | It is the most popular racing series in the United |
| In 1961 Ford introduced the FE 390 in a low drag | | | | States, drawing over 6 million spectators in 1997, |
| Galaxie "Starliner", but 1960 and '61 championships | | | | an average live audience of over 190,000 people |
| were won by drivers in 409-powered Chevy | | | | for each race. The most famous event in the |
| Impalas. | | | | series is undoubtedly the Daytona 500, an annual |
| Pontiac introduced their "Super Duty" 421 in | | | | 500-mile race at Daytona Beach, Florida. The |
| Catalinas that made use of many aluminum body | | | | series' second-biggest event is probably The |
| parts to save weight, and the Pontiacs easily won | | | | Brickyard 400, an annual 400-mile race held at the |
| in 1962. | | | | Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the legendary home |
| The Golden Age | | | | of the Indianapolis 500 of the Indy Racing League, |
| The desire from fans and manufacturers alike for | | | | an open-wheeled racing series. NASCAR also runs |
| higher performance cars within the restrictions of | | | | the Busch Series, a stock car junior league, and |
| homologation meant that car makers began | | | | the Craftsman Truck Series, a junior league |
| producing limited production "special edition" cars | | | | where pickup trucks are raced. Together the two |
| based on high production base models. It also | | | | car-based series (Nextel Cup and Busch Series) |
| became apparent that manufacturers were willing | | | | drew 8 million spectators in 1997, compared to 4 |
| to produce increasingly larger engines to remain | | | | million for both American open-wheel series |
| competitive (Ford had developed a 483 they | | | | (CART and IRL). In 2002, 17 of the 20 US top |
| hoped to race). For the 1963 season NASCAR | | | | sporting events in terms of attendance were |
| engines were restricted to using a maximium | | | | NASCAR races. Only football drew more television |
| displacement of 7.0 Liters (427 cu.in.) and using | | | | viewers that year. |
| only two valves per cylinder. | | | | Besides NASCAR, there are a number of other |
| Also, even with heavy duty special editions sold to | | | | national or regional stock-car sanctioning bodies in |
| the public for homologation purposes, the race car | | | | the United States. The Automobile Racing Club of |
| rules were further modified, primarily in the | | | | America (ARCA), American Speed Association |
| interest of safety. This is because race drivers | | | | (ASA), International Motor Contest Association |
| and their cars during this era were subjected to | | | | (IMCA), and United Speed Alliance Racing (USAR) |
| forces unheard of in street use, and require a far | | | | all sanction their own forms of stock-car racing, |
| higher level of protection than is normally afforded | | | | on varying types of track, and with various levels |
| by truly "stock" automobile bodies. | | | | of national and media coverage. Young drivers |
| In 1963 Ford sold enough of their aerodynamic | | | | from these series generally aspire to move to the |
| "sport-roof" edition Galaxies to the public so it | | | | Busch Series or Craftman Truck Series in |
| would qualify as stock, and with the heavy duty | | | | NASCAR. The International Race of Champions |
| FE block bored and stroked to the new limit of | | | | (IROC) series uses stock cars, but is usually |
| 427, the top 5 finishers were all Ford. Chrysler | | | | perceived as being outside of the usual stock car |
| had bored their 413 to create the "Max Wedge" | | | | racing scene because of its 'All-Star' design. |
| 426, but it still couldn't compete with the Fords. | | | | Internationally, stock car racing has not enjoyed |
| GM's headquarters had genuinely tried to adhere | | | | the same success as within the United States. In |
| to the 1957 ban, but their Chevrolet division had | | | | Canada CASCAR organizes three racing series |
| also constantly tried to work around it, because | | | | (two regional and one national) that enjoy |
| the other manufacturers had openly circumvented | | | | generally strong car-counts; the base of the sport |
| the ban. In 1963 GM gave in and openly | | | | in Canada is the short-oval region of Southern |
| abandoned compliance, and Chevy was allowed to | | | | Ontario. In Europe there has been a persistent |
| produce the ZO6 427, but it did not immediately | | | | effort to introduce stock car racing. The Stock |
| enjoy success. | | | | Car Speed Association ASCAR or Days of |
| Then, in 1964 the new Chrysler 426 Hemi engine | | | | Thunder is based in Rockingham, United Kingdom, |
| so dominated the series in a Plymouth Belvedere | | | | though the series has raced at the Lausitzring in |
| "Sport Fury", the homologation rules were | | | | Germany as well. Brazil also has a successful |
| changed so that 1,000 of any engine and car had | | | | stock car racing series, with starting grids of 40 |
| to be sold to the public to qualify as a stock part, | | | | or more cars, and three brands competing: |
| instead of just 500. This made the 426 Hemi | | | | Chevrolet, Mitsubishi and Volkswagen. Brazilian |
| unavailable for the 1965 season. | | | | Stock Car also has two developing series. |
| In 1965 Ford adapted two single-overhead-cams | | | | Argentina also have a popular stock series, called |
| to their FE 427 V8 to allow it to run at a higher | | | | Turismo Carretera. Unsuccessful efforts have |
| RPM (called the Ford 427 Cammer). Ford started | | | | been made in Australia, South Africa, and Japan |
| to sell "cammers" to the public to homologate it | | | | as well. |
| (mostly to dealer-sponsored privateer drag | | | | Stock car racing is also a popular local event. |
| racers), but NASCAR changed the rules to | | | | Many tracks exist in the United States (and a few |
| specify that all NASCAR engines must use a single | | | | in Canada) catering to a wide variety of car types |
| cam-in-block. But even without the Cammer, the | | | | and fans. There are a few organizations that |
| Ford FE 427 won in 1965. | | | | cater to these local short tracks, such as ARCA, |
| In 1966 Chrysler sold enough of the 426 Hemi's | | | | ASA and IMCA. NASCAR also supports local short |
| to make it available again, and they put it in their | | | | track racing with their Elite Division and NASCAR |
| new Dodge Charger which had a low-drag rear | | | | Dodge Weekly Series racing. |
| window that was radically sloped. It was called a | | | | |