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The History of NASCAR
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NASCAR is born
The National Assocation for Stock Car Auto Racing is created in Daytona Beach, Florida. Bill France Sr. organized the meeting that created it. -
First NASCAR race
First race is held at Daytona's beach course. Red Byron won in his modified Ford. -
Darlington International Speedway
Darlington International Speedway becomes the first asphalt super speedway to host NASCAR. -
First Daytona 500
Lee Petty won the first Daytona 500 in front of 41,000 fans. -
First African-American to win major NASCAR event
Wendell Scott was the first African-American to win a premier NASCAR event at Jacksonville Speedway. -
1979 Daytona 500 popularized the sport
A new television deal with CBS created a large audience for this exciting race. There was a close finish, and a fight. People loved the emotion of the sport, and became more popular. -
Richard Petty set series championship record
Petty won a record seventh straight series champioship, Dale Earnhardt matched it in 1994. -
Richard Petty won his 200th major event
No other driver in NASCAR history has 200 wins. -
NASCAR expansion begins
Expansion takes place more rapidly, beginning with the first track in New England, and Indianapolis was added to the schedule. -
First Race of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
A new type of racing was created. -
2001 Daytona 500
Dale Earnhardt Sr., one of the greatest race car drivers in history, dies in a crash during this exciting race. -
Youth movement in NASCAR
Tony Stewart's championship seas on caused more young stars to break out. This was a welcome and exciting change for fans that were used to older drivers. -
Japanese automaker Toyota joins NASCAR
NASCAR was only American-made brands for a long time, so the first Japanese brand joining was a big deal. -
The Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup was started
NASCAR was becoming boring, so they created the Chase for the Cup as a postseason for NASCAR like the playoffs to make it more exciting. -
Inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame was announced in Charlotte, NC
Members of the first class were Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Junior Johnson. -
Generation-6 Cars are unveiled
Generation-6 cars look more like new cars being released, they are safer and more exciting to watch on the track -
First female driver to finish in top 10 in the Sprint Cup Series
Danica Patrick became the first woman to finish in the top 10 at NASCAR's highest level, the Sprint Cup Series. Danica has helped extend the sport's appeal to women across the country. -
NASCAR signs $8.2 billion, 10-year deal with NBC and Fox
Although ratings were declining, NASCAR signed a $8.2 billion deal for 10 years with NBA and Fox. This showed that there is still lots of excitement for the sport. -
The Chase for the Cup is expanded
The number of drivers in the playoff is increased to 16, and more emphasis is put on winning races all year to qualify. -
Largest Viewership increase in NASCAR history
The Spring Cup Series' viewership increased by 59%, the largest since televising of the sport started in 1979. This shows that the popularity of the sport is on the rise.
