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NASCAR Racing, the history is as fascinating
as the racing
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From lowly beginnings in the deep Southern US, NASCAR racing has risen to almost
unbelievable heights across the whole uS. Across the many years, from the 1st
races attended in 1948, NASCAR has become arguably the number 1 spectator sport
in The United States of America. NASCAR, with it’s current NEXTEL Cup and Busch
series, features 75 million rabid followers. Fascinating demographics indicate
that 40% of these are ladies and 53% are employed in white-collar or skilled
labor jobs. Not your average racing buff that virtually all americans expect.
The additional areas of fan interest are solid also; annual attendance at the
tracks is Over 7 million, upwards of 275 million Fans observe on tV, and the
merchandise arena tops $2 billion. Internet sites have also popped up carrying
key NASCAR
news items.
Commentators who closely keep an eye on the NASCAR sport give credit to various
factors for its vast success over the decades. A key cause is a formula that
literally no other spectator sport matches. Week in and week out, the best
teams (drivers) are battling directly against each other. Different from, for
instance the NFL, where you could have to hold off weeks for a momentous matchup
between leading teams, you can watch number 1 versus number 2 every week. It’s
virtually like taking in the World Series of this sport every
week. The beginnings of NASCAR in the “bootlegging†times and
the grass roots start of several of its first stars seems to be motivating to
fans in todays world. In this day of the spoiled, pampered, arrogant
professional athlete, NASCAR racing buffs appear to be looking for a normal,
more grounded type of champion to give their commitment
to. The American zeal for auto racing that evolved in the
1940’s did not escape the attention of promoters who promptly made an
"official" competition out of it, making a number of organizations,
each with their own rules. Then on December 14, 1947, Bill France, determined
to assemble with thirty five of the leaders of all racing associations in
existence to produce the lines of what was going to turn into the American
national automobile sport. It required four times for the group to settle on all
the guidelines, to choose the name of NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car
Auto Racing) and the Association was in the end officially born on February 21,
1948. How does NASCAR draw its background back to bootlegging?
The business of bootlegging kept going even after the end of the Prohibition
days, because of the incredible tax put on whiskey on repeal of the Volstead Act
in 1933. As bootlegging boomed , the drivers commenced to compete among
themselves to check who had the fleetest cars. The bootleggers raced on Sunday
afternoons and then employed the same autos to cart corn liquor Sunday night. As
more and more people came to view the competitions, racing moonshine cars became
very popular in the backroads of the South. The end of World
War II had an affect on the beginning of NASCAR. At the finish of the war, the
desire for new autos in the United States of America made a great jump with the
coming back of the soldiers. The manufacturing power that brought forth the
“weapons of war†switched to constructing automobiles. Next came the arrival on
the market of speedy, powerful and robust automobiles which were relished by the
young masses of the time. The American West was burning for the
"sports" cars, the Midwest for those with uncovered wheels, while the
South-east preferred the stock cars. A great deal of these were customized to
carry out the illegal alcohol traffic and employed in the
"competitions" that sprung up all over the Southern US.
NASCAR history has grown to a point where racing is no longer a
spectator sport just for Southern "rednecks". The popularity of the
sport has evolved from its Southeastern beginnings to points across the country
producing NASCAR
fans all across the country. NEXTEL Cup competitions are now run in
New Hampshire, Michigan, California, Arizona, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana,
Texas and Nevada. There have even been exhibition contests run in Japan and
other international destinations.
The beginning races of what was to finally become the NASCAR series
were conducted in 1948 with modified pre-war autos, which later became the
"modified" series. Some major milestones for the NASCAR Racing world
across the years include:
--The inaugural 500 mile race takes place at Darlington in 1950
--The 1st Daytona 500 takes place at Daytona International Speedway in 1959.
--initial tV report by CBS in 1960.
--Buddy Baker surpasses the 200 mph barrier at Talladega in 1970.
--A Gallup poll discloses that 28% of Americans are “race devotees†in
1976.
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