| The National Association for Stock Car Auto | | | | in NASCAR racing. The first special |
| Racing (NASCAR) will be completing 60 years | | | | production was that of 'racing tires,' which |
| this December, when the first meeting was | | | | in 1952, were manufactured and distributed by |
| organized all those years ago by Bill France | | | | Pure Oil Company. |
| Sr., to discuss problems faced by stock car | | | | |
| racing. From that first humble meeting, | | | | This made quite a change from the normal |
| NASCAR has become one of the most popular | | | | 'street' tires. Development in tires |
| spectator sports in the world. No one present | | | | continued, with both Firestone, and Goodyear |
| in that meeting could ever have dreamed that | | | | - to some degree - took keen interest. Such |
| NASCAR would turn out to become what it is | | | | developments were necessitated by increase in |
| today! | | | | car speeds. |
| | | | |
| The Stock Car Evolution | | | | In 1952, two-way radios were used for the |
| | | | first time in a NASCAR race, and today it is |
| The first race under the aegis of NASCAR was | | | | a vital piece of equipment. Faced with a |
| held on February 15, 1948 at Daytona Beach. | | | | spate of hubs, axles, and suspension |
| This was the post WWII era. Obviously, there | | | | failures, the Oldsmobile, Lincoln and Hudson |
| was a shortage of new cars. Most people were | | | | car companies introduced usage kits, in 1953. |
| driving pre-war models, which were in a | | | | |
| rattletrap condition, to say the least. The | | | | In those early times, racing drivers did not |
| cars were 'modified,' which consisted of | | | | stick to one particular model, or even make. |
| merely tweaking and tuning the engine. | | | | They fairly jumped from one model, or make, |
| | | | to another, depending on what car or model |
| Ropes sufficed as seat belts, and the more | | | | they thought was suitable for their needs. |
| colorful drivers used aircraft harnesses. | | | | |
| Roll bars, which have been mandated since | | | | Today, the cars and the tracks used in NASCAR |
| 1952, were not in use during those early | | | | racing are a far cry from what they were all |
| years. | | | | those five and six decades ago, when there |
| | | | were 'true' stock cars, racing on rough and |
| The 'stock car' designation was strictly | | | | dirt tracks. |
| enforced and brought cars from diverse | | | | |
| manufacturers, such as Buick, Cadillac, | | | | The Tickets |
| Chrysler, Ford, Hudson, Kaiser, Lincoln, | | | | |
| Mercury and Oldsmobile. One of the greatest | | | | The NASCAR race calendar is always full, and |
| problems was the failure of the wheels and | | | | its fans all over the country eagerly look to |
| the suspensions, as the racing surfaces were | | | | purchase NASCAR tickets for the races of |
| rough, dirt tracks. | | | | their choice. |
| | | | |
| As stock car racing gained popularity, there | | | | Your best option to lay your hands on your |
| was fierce competition, and this made | | | | choice of NASCAR tickets is through |
| modifications necessary. Many modifications | | | | legitimate and professional ticket brokers. |
| were brought in, in the interest of safety, | | | | Competent ticket brokers have the resources |
| and many special 'high performance' parts | | | | to arrange to procure your NASCAR tickets for |
| found there way into the mainstream models. | | | | you, and have them delivered to your |
| This enabled these 'special' parts to be used | | | | doorstep. |