Friday 20 May 2016

Starting Line: a Brief History Of Nascar

Image source: http://racersreunion.com/
The National Association for Stock Car Racing, more commonly known as NASCAR, officially began on February 21, 1948. Now, almost seventy years later, NASCAR has become an industry worth billions. But how did it start?

William “Bill” France, Sr. was a mechanic who also owned an automobile-repair shop in Washington, D.C. In the mid-30s, he moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, the mecca of racing in the United States East Coast. He lived a life that revolved around racing and promoting races. France noticed how promoters could make off with prizes, and realized then and there that there had to be an organized committee to oversee racing in general in the area. Along with other racers and promoters, he set up NASCAR, and became its first president.

Image source: http://www.foxsports.com/
In 1972, William France, Jr., became president of NASCAR after Bill stepped down. It was William Jr. who turned NASCAR from regional sensation to a sport with a global following. From 1973 to 2007, NASCAR flourished under William Jr.’s leadership. William France, Jr. was also responsible for introducing NASCAR to a whole new line-up of huge corporate sponsors. It was also the younger France who brought in TV deals worth billions of dollars.

Steve B. Liefschultz has been a really big NASCAR fan since he saw the 2007 Nextel Cup Series. He has a large die-cast NASCAR collection with over a hundred models. Learn more about NASCAR and Steve by visiting his Facebook page.

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