NASCAR Iowa

NASCAR, or The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a sanctioning body for motor sports in the United States. It is the single largest motor sports organization. NASCAR has enjoyed an immense surge in popularity in recent years, eclipsing the once powerful Indy Car racing that had dominated motor sports for so long. By combining down-to-earth racing styles, accessible drivers and familiar auto body styles, NASCAR has managed to bring auto racing to a level approaching the popularity of NFL Football or Major League Baseball. As far as television ratings are concerned, NASCAR auto racing is actually the second most popular sport, behind the NFL. In addition to the audience NASCAR enjoys in the United States, its races are also broadcast in over 150 countries worldwide. NASCAR fans are the most loyal fans of any sport in the U.S. going by merchandizing statistics, so much so that many Fortune 500 companies sponsor racers and events.

How NASCAR brought itself to this level of popularity is a story in itself. Amazingly, the pivotal event was a fistfight between three racers who lost the lead in the 1979 Daytona 500. The emotion and the drama brought the sport into the national consciousness faster than a simple auto race could have. With this new visibility came sponsorship, and the resulting cash infusion fueled a new marketing push to bring more of the sport to the television audience.

Before 1979, the television coverage of NASCAR events was sporadic at best. With the exception of the Daytona 500, most NASCAR events were not broadcast and competition from the INDY car circuit was much heavier. The Indianapolis 500 actually gathered a larger television audience.

In the beginning of the 20th century, Daytona Beach was known by racing enthusiasts as a place for setting land speed records. Before the speed record scene moved to the Bonneville Salt Flats, Daytona was the venue of choice. Fifteen speed records were set in Daytona between 1905 and 1935. After the heyday of speed racing, Daytona began to host race events.

The early days of racing were rather humble, with most drivers moonlighting as drivers for bootleggers. Moonshine runners would modify their vehicles to make them faster than the police cars that were chasing them, resulting in some rather ironic improvements in auto racing and automobiles in general. Once prohibition was ended, the natural choice for many of these drivers, who had developed quite a taste for speed.

In 1935 a mechanic by the name of William France Sr. moved to Daytona Beach to escape the Depression. Having followed the events in Daytona, he entered the 1936 Daytona race and finished fifth. By 1938 he was in charge of running the course. It occurred to France that people might enjoy watching the event, so he began to organize the racers. In the early days racers were frequently the victims of unscrupulous racing promoters. In 1947 in early December he organized talks between racers and promoters. These talks eventually became the sanctioning organization that is NASCAR, with standardized rules, a regular schedule and a championship.

The first NASCAR stock race was held at Charlotte Speedway in 1949. The cars were strictly stock, with no modifications from the factory. After a number of years, however, modifications for safety and performance were allowed. Eventually the cars became high performance cars that merely looked like stock cars.

In the 1970's, NASCAR underwent a major shift in structure and format. With the banishment of tobacco advertising from television, tobacco companies were looking for new ways to market their products and turned to sponsorship. In 1971The Winston Cup, sponsored by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company became the top motor sports event. A new points system was implemented and cash awards for championship points were initiated.

The Daytona 500 became the first nationally televised stock car event, with the race broadcast from start to finish. It was a tightly run race, with the leaders going head to head almost from the start of the race. In the final lap, Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough tangled up and crashed while fighting for the lead and Richard Petty passed them for the win. What ensued next made NASCAR history and launched the sport into the national consciousness. Allison and Yarborough turned on each other, throwing punches on national television. Donnie's brother Bobbie jumped into the fray. The fight caught the imagination of the nation. The drama and passion they brought to the sport translated into viewers for NASCAR. It didn't hurt that the US eastern states were stranded at home due to a major snowstorm.

The other major change that had a major influence on the sport was the new points system. Until that time, drivers were merely concerned with winning each race. Now they were bent on winning points and increasing their standings.