The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, more popularly known as NASCAR, started in 1948. Recognized as the main professional association and league for Stock Car Racing in The United States, Canada, and Mexico, NASCAR is steeped in both tradition and history.
NASCAR got a boost from the initial popularity found at Daytona Beach, Florida. A hotspot for land-speed records and record attempts, drivers began to congregate to race in the area. The first collection of drivers who raced at Daytona Beach and sparked the NASCAR movement got together on March 8th, 1936.
The first season was known as the NCSSC, or the National Championship Stock Car Series. Started in 1947 at Daytona Beach, the series featured 40 different races over the course of the year. The first NCSSC season was started by Bill France. France began to push for a more organized group of races that would eventually become NASCAR.
NASCAR was officially founded on February 21st, 1948 by William France, Sr. The association was initially broken into three different divisions, but was whittled down to Modified and Strictly Stock Racing. The modified version was eventually cut. Erwin Baker is recognized as the first commissioner of NASCAR.
The first NASCAR race was at Daytona Beach on February 15th, 1948. Red Byron was the first winner, and the racer who eventually won the National Championship. The first NASCAR race as we know NASCAR, strictly stock, was held on June 19th, 1949 at Charlotte Speedway. This race was won by Jim Roper who actually wound up winning the race off of a technicality – Glenn Dunnaway was disqualified for altering the rear springs on the vehicle.
Players were ranked based on wins, with the best racer awarded the end-of-the-season “Cup”, currently known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
