NASCAR

Background

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing sanctions and produces the highest level of stock car racing in North America. It operates four championship series in the US, and four outside.

The NASCAR Cup Series is the premier division, featuring around 30 regular-season races from February to August at various tracks around the US. Races are typically 200 to 600 miles.

The 10-race playoff starts in August with 16 drivers qualifying. The Championship race is held in November with the winner taking home the Bill France Cup.

Stock Car Early History

During Prohibition, bootleggers used runners to deliver their illegal alcohol to customers. The runners souped up their cars to outrun the police and learned to maneuver along winding dirt roads at high speeds. Eventually, runners began organizing informal races against each other, drawing crowds and prize money.

In 1936, Daytona Beach organized the first stock car race on a course just over three miles—and half of it was on the beach. Bill France finished fifth in the 240-mile race, but took charge promoting the event and other stock car races until the outbreak of WWII.

Formation of NASCAR

Following the war, France saw the need for a governing body for race car drivers. In 1947, he held a series of meetings outlining his vision for NASCAR.

In 1948, the company was incorporated. In June 1949, NASCAR held its first “Strictly Stock” race, which eventually became the Cup Series.

Early races were held on makeshift tracks. France saw a need for an enclosed, paved track with amenities for both fans and drivers, so he developed and helped construct the Daytona International Speedway. The first Daytona 500 was held in 1959 (see race).

Early cars were nearly identical to street models, but by the mid-1960s, NASCAR introduced rules allowing for modifications to race the new super-speedways. By 1991, cars were completely custom-built with almost nothing “stock.”

NASCAR saw enormous growth in the 1990s. Older drivers like Dale Earnhardt Sr. faced off against new drivers like Jeff Gordon, with the two winning seven championships in the decade. Most races aired live, allowing the sport to expand beyond its traditional Southern base and drivers to become household names.

Changes in Safety

On the final turn of the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt Sr. was running third behind his son when he was bumped. The Intimidator’s iconic No. 3 black Chevrolet took a hard right into the cement wall at over 150 mph, killing him, likely instantly.

The tragic death of a racing icon was a watershed moment for NASCAR. Within eight months, nearly every driver wore head-and-neck restraints before a mandate took effect. The year after the crash NASCAR began installing now-standard Steel and Foam Energy Reduction barriers (how they work) at oval tracks.

NASCAR shifted to a safety-first culture and in 2002 opened a Research and Development Center to focus on safety innovation. They unveiled the Car of Tomorrow in 2007 which drastically improved driver protection and reduced the dependence on aerodynamics. No driver has died in NASCAR’s top three series since Earnhardt’s death.

Future

In 2022 NASCAR introduced their Next Gen cars, the closest to production models since the 1980s. Teams no longer design each car part, but purchase them from a single source, bringing greater parity.

NASCAR’s popularity peaked in 2005 but saw a sharp decline from 2008 through 2018. They are combating the rise of Formula 1’s popularity by substantially expanding their online content and getting their own Netflix docuseries, which will launch in 2025.