| In 1947, the sport of stock car racing was becoming | | | | With the growing success of this new sport, Bill |
| extremely popular and beginning to draw large | | | | France Sr. began construction of a 2.5 mile, |
| crowds of spectators. More drivers began taking an | | | | high-banked superspeedway located four miles from |
| interest due to the increasing fan popularity. | | | | the beach in Daytona. France fought to keep racing |
| Cohesiveness, however, did not exist as rules | | | | affiliated with Daytona as others looked to the |
| differed from one racetrack to the next. Several | | | | Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to avoid the outgoing |
| tracks were built to produce one big show at a | | | | tides at Daytona Beach. Despite the desire of the |
| county fair, or similar event, in order to capitalize on | | | | city of Daytona hold onto it's beach racing attraction, |
| the crowds of fans that were beginning to form. | | | | NASCAR quickly outgrew the beach. In 1949, |
| Other tracks, however, were built more toward | | | | NASCAR moved it's events to the Daytona |
| handling the cars and not the crowds. Some tracks | | | | International Speedway. The first Daytona 500 |
| could accommodate both the fans and the cars, but | | | | continued for 3 days due to a dispute over the |
| did little to adhere to the rules governing the | | | | actual winner, which was later proven to be Lee |
| neighboring tracks. | | | | Petty, after careful study of a photograph of the |
| In late 1947, on a December day in Florida, Bill France | | | | finish. |
| Sr. organized a meeting at the Streamline Hotel in | | | | In 1960, superspeedways opened just outside of |
| Daytona Beach. His focus for the meeting was to | | | | Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina. In |
| discuss the matters facing the future of stock car | | | | 1961, ABC televised a race from Daytona. In 1969, |
| racing. From this meeting emerged, what is now | | | | Alabama International Motor Speedway (now known |
| known as, NASCAR (The National Association of | | | | as Talladega Superspeedway) was opened by Bill |
| Stock Car Auto Racing). When the meeting | | | | France Sr. In later years, Bill Sr. passed the torch of |
| adjourned, few people had faith in the new | | | | leadership to his son, Bill Jr. and corporate |
| organization or it's future. France, however, knew | | | | sponsorships began to arise as NASCAR went on to |
| otherwise. In fact, he believed that a sanctioning | | | | become the leader in worldwide motorsports |
| body was exactly what the sport needed, but even | | | | attendance. In 1979, the Daytona 500 was telecast in |
| he could not have imagined what he created on that | | | | it's entirety. By 1989, every race on the NASCAR |
| December day. | | | | schedule was broadcast. |
| The sport of NASCAR began to take shape rather | | | | Since the beginning of NASCAR, new additions have |
| quickly. After two months, the inaugural | | | | been added to include the NASCAR Craftsman Truck |
| NASCAR-sanctioned race was held on Daytona's | | | | and Busch Grand National series. New drivers emerge |
| Beach Course. Red Byron, a stock car legend, drove | | | | every year to take their shot at stardom. For many, |
| his Ford Modified to win the event on February 15, | | | | it's a lifelong dream to drive NASCAR and compete |
| 1948. It wasn't until the following year that what we | | | | for the glorious title of 'Champion.' At the end of the |
| now know as NASCAR Nextel Cup Series began. The | | | | season, points are tallied to see who has ran the |
| first ever NASCAR Grand National (now known as | | | | most consistently throughout the year and that |
| Nextel Cup) event was held at the Charlotte, North | | | | person becomes that year's NASCAR champion for |
| Carolina fairgrounds. A huge crowd gathered to see | | | | their respected series. |
| Jim Roper of Kansas win this historic race. | | | | With the extreme growth of NASCAR through the |
| The new series was an instant success and plans | | | | years, fans have demanded more opportunities to |
| were ongoing to bring in larger crowds, more drivers | | | | enjoy their favorite sport. The organization heard |
| and faster races. In 1950, Darlington Raceway, the | | | | their voices and decided to build NASCAR Thunder, a |
| country's first asphalt superspeedway, opened it's | | | | chain of officially-licensed apparel and souvenir stores, |
| doors for the new division. The first decade for | | | | and the NASCAR Café, which incorporates |
| NASCAR was one of tremendous growth and | | | | racing with dining for a full racing experience for all |
| popularity. Drivers became heroes and skeptics | | | | NASCAR fans. After 58 years, the sport continues to |
| became race fans. Names like Lee Petty, Fireball | | | | grow with fans who travel across the country to see |
| Roberts and Buck Baker were to racing as Willie | | | | their favorite driver chase the checkered flag and, |
| Mays, Mickey Mantle and 'The Duke' were to baseball. | | | | ultimately, a NASCAR championship. |