NASCAR Founding Fathers

Hello racing fans! Are your engines revving? Can’t wait until the next NASCAR race? Have you ever wondered where and when this addictive sport started? Unofficially, it began when deep in the woods, depression-era farmers made moonshine to earn money to support their families. Money for basic needs was hard to come by. They learned to circumvent the law by making their cars faster than the ones the law enforcement officers had. A famous moonshine runner is Junior Johnson of Ingle Hollow, he was never caught running moonshine (although I bet a lot of them didn’t get caught!).

North Carolina is credited with creating the “pirate turn” in which the driver puts the car in second gear and does a quick 180-degree turn, returning the same way they came to avoid a road block. NASCAR’s roots lie primarily in the southern states. NASCAR is short for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. William France formed NASCAR in 1948. The first official race was held on February 15, 1948 in Daytona Beach, Florida, and from there it began to gain popularity. Then in 1970, ABC began televising racing segments on Wide World of Sports. (I’m dating myself, but I remember when they started doing that! Even as a kid I had speed in my blood!)

NASCAR is now the fastest growing spectator sport in the United States. Avid fans follow each race closely by rooting for their favorite driver and watching his race points. All I can say is…

See you at the races!