History of NASCAR

NASCAR or the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, as it’s formally known, has grown to be one of the most popular sports in the United States. But where did NASCAR come from? What are the origins of this adrenaline-pumping sport?

**Days of Old: **The story begins in Daytona Beach during the height of Prohibition. Production cars were modified to transport liquor and outrun the authorities. Naturally, competition grew among bootleggers as to who had the fastest car and thereby created stock car racing. Throughout the 1930s and into the 1940s, stock car racing grew in popularity. It wasn’t long before drivers realized they needed to organize. On February 21, 1948, NASCAR was founded by a mechanic, Bill France, Sr. and several other stock car drivers. The organization gave drivers security from card-shark racetrack promoters who often fled the race without paying the drivers’ winnings.

NASCAR grew in popularity and got the attention of automakers. A new phrase was coined, “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday.” The cars became high-speed billboards, each car dawning the logos of the largest companies in the world.

**Down the road: **In May of 2021, NASCAR unveiled its next generation of cup stock cars which included the Toyota Camry TRD, Ford Mustang, and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The 5.86L V8 engines produce 670 hp or 550 hp depending on the track. Driver safety also increased with additional chassis improvements. Of note, the five-lug 15” wheels are replaced by single-lug 18” wheels. The body styles of the cars are intentionally designed to look like their production relatives.

**Sources: **

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASCAR#cite_note-nascar101-2 https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregengle/2021/05/08/nascar-ready-to-race-into-the-future-with-its-next-gen-car/?sh=453acdb57d49 https://us.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/nascars-next-gen-cup-car-what-is-it-and-why-it-is-needed/5389278/ https://web.archive.org/web/20150530103445/http://hometracks.nascar.com/nascar_101/history_of_nascar