Editing NASCAR (section)

==History==

===Early stock car racing===
[[File:JuniorJohnson1985.jpg|thumb|upright|1985 photo of [[Junior Johnson]], 1950s NASCAR driver who began as a bootlegging driver from [[Wilkes County, North Carolina]]]]

In the 1920s and 1930s, Daytona Beach supplanted France and [[Belgium]] as the preferred location for world [[land speed record]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://phyvax.ir.miami.edu:8001/curtright/lsr_history.html |title=Table of Official Land Speed Record |access-date=December 24, 2007 |author=Cutright, Thomas |publisher=Department of Physics, [[University of Miami]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725165919/http://phyvax.ir.miami.edu:8001/curtright/lsr_history.html |archive-date=July 25, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url = http://stars.library.ucf.edu/ahistoryofcentralfloridapodcast/28/|title = Episode 27 Leather Cap and Goggles|date = October 1, 2014|access-date = January 27, 2016|journal = A History of Central Florida Podcast|last = Dickens|first = Bethany|archive-date = March 4, 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210304155020/http://stars.library.ucf.edu/ahistoryofcentralfloridapodcast/28/|url-status = live}}</ref> After a historic race between [[Ransom Olds]] and [[Alexander Winton]] in 1903, 15 records were set on what became the [[Daytona Beach Road Course]] between 1905 and 1935. Daytona Beach had become synonymous with fast cars in 1936.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCQ/is_3_19/ai_110730198 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20050101235028/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCQ/is_3_19/ai_110730198 |url-status= dead |archive-date= January 1, 2005 |title=Daytona beach: sun-seekers and race car fans flock to this Florida vacation haven |access-date=December 24, 2007 |author=Williams, Deborah |date= November–December 2003 |work= Travel America |publisher= Travel America}}</ref> Drivers raced on a {{convert|4.1|mi|km|adj=on}} course, consisting of a {{convert|1.5|-|2.0|mi|km|adj=on}} stretch of beach as one straightaway, and a narrow blacktop beachfront highway, [[Florida State Road A1A|State Road&nbsp;A1A]], as the other. The two straights were connected by two tight, deeply rutted and sand covered turns at each end.<ref name="Fast History-31">{{cite book|last=Fielden|first=Greg|title=NASCAR: A Fast History |publisher=Publications International Ltd.|location=Lincolnwood, Illinois|year=2005|page=31|chapter=Beachfront View|isbn=1-4127-1155-X}}</ref>

Stock car racing in the United States has its origins in [[rum-running|bootlegging]] during [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]],<ref name="mobmuseum">{{Cite web|url=http://prohibition.themobmuseum.org/the-history/prohibition-potpourri/nascar-and-prohibition/|title=NASCAR Rooted in Prohibition Bootlegging|website=Prohibition: An Interactive History|access-date=May 23, 2020|archive-date=May 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521075523/http://prohibition.themobmuseum.org/the-history/prohibition-potpourri/nascar-and-prohibition/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="historychannel">{{Cite web|url=https://www.history.com/news/how-prohibition-gave-birth-to-nascar|title=How Prohibition Gave Birth to NASCAR|first=Christopher|last=Klein|website=HISTORY|date=March 28, 2023|access-date=May 23, 2020|archive-date=April 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423102019/https://www.history.com/news/how-prohibition-gave-birth-to-nascar|url-status=live}}</ref> when drivers ran [[moonshine|bootleg whiskey]] made primarily in the [[Appalachia]]n region of the United States. Bootleggers needed to distribute their illicit products, and they typically used small, fast vehicles to better evade the police. Many of the drivers would modify their cars for speed and handling,<ref name="historychannel"/> as well as increased cargo capacity.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Billock|first=Jennifer|title=How Moonshine Bootlegging Gave Rise to NASCAR|magazine=Smithsonian|date=February 10, 2017|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-moonshine-bootlegging-gave-rise-nascar-180962014/|access-date=November 1, 2020|archive-date=December 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222132844/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-moonshine-bootlegging-gave-rise-nascar-180962014/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution|repeal of Prohibition]] in 1933 dried up some of their business, but by then the people of the American South had developed a taste for [[moonshine]], and a number of the drivers continued "runnin' shine", this time evading the "revenuers" who were attempting to tax their operations.<ref name="appstate"/> The cars continued to improve, and by the late 1940s, races featuring these cars were being run for pride and profit. These races were popular entertainment in the rural Southern United States, and they are most closely associated with the [[Wilkes County, North Carolina|Wilkes County]] region of [[North Carolina]]. Most races in those days were of modified cars. Street vehicles were lightened and reinforced.<ref name="Hinton-early">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=4067951&type=blogEntry|title=Little Widow made a big impression|last=Hinton|date=April 4, 2009|publisher=ESPN|access-date=April 30, 2009|archive-date=November 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102100615/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=4067951&type=blogEntry|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=North Wilkesboro and the Roots of NASCAR |url=https://www.ncdcr.gov/blog/2013/05/18/north-wilkesboro-and-the-roots-of-nascar |website=This Day in North Carolina History |date=May 18, 2016 |publisher=N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources |access-date=May 18, 2019 |archive-date=May 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190518143040/https://www.ncdcr.gov/blog/2013/05/18/north-wilkesboro-and-the-roots-of-nascar |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Significant people===

====William France Sr.====
{{Main|Bill France Sr.}}

Mechanic [[Bill France Sr.|William France Sr.]], moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, from Washington, D.C., in 1935 to escape the [[Great Depression]]. He was familiar with the history of the area from the land speed record attempts. France entered the 1936 Daytona event, finishing fifth. He took over running the course in 1938. He promoted a few races before World War II.

France had the notion that people would enjoy watching [[Stock car racing|stock cars]] race. Drivers were frequently victimized by unscrupulous promoters who would leave events with all the money before drivers were paid.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9Id0bHVBYEsC&pg=PA94 |page=94 |title=Nascar |author=Nigel Kinrade, Steve Casper |publisher=MotorBooks International |year=2007|isbn=9781616730611 }}</ref> On December 14, 1947, France began talks with other influential racers and promoters at the Ebony Bar at the [[Streamline Hotel]] in [[Daytona Beach, Florida]], that ended with the formation of NASCAR on February 21, 1948.<ref name=AHOF-France>[http://automotivehalloffame.org/honors/index.php?cmd=view&id=676&type=inductees Induction in the Automotive Hall of Fame] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303175838/http://www.automotivehalloffame.org/honors/index.php?cmd=view&id=676&type=inductees |date=March 3, 2016 }}. Retrieved April 18, 2009.</ref>

====Erwin "Cannonball" Baker====
{{Main|Erwin Baker}}

The first [[NASCAR National Commissioner|Commissioner of NASCAR]] was Erwin "Cannonball" Baker, a former stock car, motorcycle, and [[Open-wheel car|open-wheel]] racer who competed in the [[Indianapolis 500]] and set over one hundred land speed records. Baker earned most of his fame for his transcontinental speed runs and would prove a car's worth by driving it from New York to Los Angeles. After his death, the famous transcontinental race the '[[Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash|Cannonball Run]]' and the film that was inspired by it were both named in his honor.
Baker is enshrined in the [[Automotive Hall of Fame]], the [[Motorcycle Hall of Fame]], and the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]] Hall of Fame. This level of honor and success in each diverse racing association earned Baker the title of "King of the Road".<ref name="goracin">[http://www.goracin.com/list.cfm?listid=9&item=20 Lap No. 1 How Barky Got Started RACING] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929011450/http://www.goracin.com/list.cfm?listid=9&item=20 |date=September 29, 2007 }}, Davis Motorsports, reminiscence by Bob Barkhimer, former race driver and Business Manager for BCRA (Bay Cities Racing Association) and NASCAR co-founder</ref>

====Bob "Barky" Barkhimer====
{{Main|Bob Barkhimer}}
In the early 1950s, the [[United States Navy]] stationed [[Bill France Jr.]], at the [[Moffett Field|Moffett Federal Airfield]] in northern California. His father asked him to look up Bob Barkhimer in [[San Jose, California]]. Barkhimer was a star of [[midget car racing]] from the World War II era, and later ran about 22 different speedways as the head of the California Stock Car Racing Association. Young Bill developed a relationship with Bob Barkhimer and his partner, Margo Burke. He went to events with them, stayed weekends with them and generally became very familiar with racing on the west coast. "Barky", as he was called by his friends, journeyed to Daytona Beach and met with Bill France Sr. In the spring of 1954, NASCAR became a stock car sanctioning body on the [[West Coast of the United States|Pacific Coast]] under Barky.

====Wendell Scott====
{{Main|Wendell Scott}}
[[Wendell Scott]] was the first African-American to win a race in the Grand National Series, NASCAR's highest level. He was posthumously inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in [[Charlotte, North Carolina]], January 30, 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.afro.com/first-african-american-to-win-nascar-premier-series-trophy-inducted-into-hall-of-fame/#sthash.1iSEf7gb.dpuf|title=First African American to Win NASCAR Premier Series Trophy Inducted into Hall of Fame|others=Price, Zenitha Prince (Senior AFRO Correspondent)|date=February 6, 2015|access-date=February 7, 2015|archive-date=February 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207204047/http://www.afro.com/first-african-american-to-win-nascar-premier-series-trophy-inducted-into-hall-of-fame/#sthash.1iSEf7gb.dpuf|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:NASCAR.svg|thumb|Logo used from 1976 to 2016]]

===Founding===
On March 8, 1936, a collection of drivers gathered at [[Daytona Beach, Florida]]. The drivers brought [[coupe]]s, [[hardtop]]s, convertibles, and sports cars to compete in an event to determine the fastest cars, and best drivers. Throughout the race, the heavier cars got bogged down in the sand, while the lightweight Fords navigated the ruts of the course, eventually claiming the top 6 finishes for the race. Of the 27 cars that started the event, only 10 managed to survive the ordeal, as officials halted the event {{convert|10|mi|km}} short of the scheduled {{convert|250|mi|km|adj=on}} distance. Driver Milt Marion was declared the winner, and a young Bill France placed 5th at the end of the day.<ref name="Fast History-10">{{cite book|last=Fielden|first=Greg|title=NASCAR: A Fast History |publisher=Publications International Ltd.|location=Lincolnwood, Illinois|year=2005|page=10|chapter=The First Beach Race|isbn=1-4127-1155-X}}</ref>

By early 1947, Bill France saw the potential for a unified series of racing competitors. France announced the foundation of the "National Championship Stock Car Circuit", otherwise known as NCSCC.<ref name=DarlingtonRacewayBigBill>{{cite web|title=No Debate Needed Regarding Induction of 'Big Bill' Into NASCAR Hall of Fame|url=http://www.darlingtonraceway.com/Articles/2010/04/Bill-France-Sr-Hall-of-Fame.aspx|publisher=[[Darlington Raceway]]|access-date=February 15, 2013|archive-date=June 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626000829/http://www.darlingtonraceway.com/Articles/2010/04/Bill-France-Sr-Hall-of-Fame.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> France approached the [[American Automobile Association]], or AAA, in hopes of obtaining financial backing for the venture. When the AAA declined support of the venture, France proceeded to announce a set of rules and awards for the NCSCC. France declared that the winner of the 1947 NCSCC season would receive $1000.00 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|1,000|1947}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}) and a trophy. The season would begin in January 1947 at the Daytona Beach track, and conclude in Jacksonville the following December. Nearly 40 events were logged during the season, and attendance often exceeded the venue's capacity. The competitors were paid as promised, and by the end of the season, driver [[Fonty Flock]] was declared the season champion after winning 7 events of the 24 that he entered. Bill France delivered the $1000 and 4-foot high trophy to Flock at the end of the season, along with $3000 in prize money to other drivers who competed throughout the season.<ref name="Fast History-15">{{cite book|last=Fielden|first=Greg|title=NASCAR: A Fast History |publisher=Publications International Ltd.|location=Lincolnwood, Illinois|year=2005|page=15|chapter=The National Championship Stock Car Circuit|isbn=1-4127-1155-X}}</ref>

[[File:Streamline Hotel July 2018.jpg|thumb|left|The Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida, where NASCAR was founded]]
At the end of the 1947 season, Bill France announced that there would be a series of meetings held at the [[Streamline Hotel|Streamline Hotel in Florida]], beginning on December 14, 1947. At 1:00&nbsp;pm, France called to order the 35 men who represented the NCSCC on the top floor of the hotel. The meeting was the first of four seminars in which France would outline his vision of an organized group of race car drivers.<ref name="Fast History-16">{{cite book|last=Fielden|first=Greg|title=NASCAR: A Fast History |publisher=Publications International Ltd.|location=Lincolnwood, Illinois|year=2005|page=15|chapter=The Streamline Hotel and the Birth of NASCAR|isbn=1-4127-1155-X}}</ref> The name originally chosen for the series was [[National Stock Car Racing Association]]; when it was pointed out that that name was already in use by a rival sanctioning body, "National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing", proposed by mechanic [[Red Vogt]], was selected as the organization's name.<ref>{{cite book|last=Moriarty|first=Frank|title=The Encyclopedia of Stock Car Racing|year=1998|publisher=Metro Books|location=New York|isbn=978-1-56799-459-9|page=12}}</ref>

NASCAR was founded by William France, Sr. on February 21, 1948 with the help of several other drivers of the time.<ref name="nascar101"/> The original plans for NASCAR included three distinct divisions: Modified, Roadster, and Strictly Stock. The Modified and Roadster classes were seen as more attractive to fans. It turned out that NASCAR fans wanted nothing to do with the [[Roadster (automobile)|roadsters]], which fans perceived as a Northeast or Midwest series.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}} The roadster division was quickly abandoned, while the [[Modified racing|modified]] division now operates as the [[NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour]]. The Strictly Stock division was put on hold as American automobile manufacturers were unable to produce family sedans quickly enough to keep up with post-World War II demand.<ref name=Fleischman6>{{cite book |last=Fleischman |first=Bill |author2=Al Pearce |title=The Unauthorized NASCAR Fan Guide (1998–99) |url=https://archive.org/details/unauthorizednasc00flei |url-access=registration |publisher=Visible Ink Press |year=1999 |page=[https://archive.org/details/unauthorizednasc00flei/page/6 6]}}</ref> The 1948 schedule featured 52 Modified [[dirt track racing|dirt track races]]. The sanctioning body hosted its first event at Daytona Beach on February 15, 1948. [[Red Byron]] beat [[Marshall Teague (racing driver)|Marshall Teague]] in the Modified division race. Byron won the 1948 national championship. Things had changed dramatically by 1949, and the Strictly Stock division was able to debut with a {{convert|20|mi|km|adj=on}} exhibition in February near Miami.

The first [[1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Series inaugural race|NASCAR "Strictly Stock" race]] ever was held at [[Charlotte Speedway]], although this is not the same track as the [[Charlotte Motor Speedway]] that is a fixture on current NASCAR schedule. The race was held on June 19, 1949 and won by driver [[Jim Roper]] when [[Glenn Dunaway]] was disqualified after the discovery of his altered rear springs. Initially, the cars were known as the "Strictly Stock Division" and raced with virtually no modifications on the factory models. This division was renamed the "Grand National" division beginning in the 1950 season. Over a period of more than a decade, modifications for both safety and performance were allowed, and by the mid-1960s, the vehicles were purpose-built race cars with a stock-appearing body.

[[File:RichardPettyRoadrunner.jpg|thumb|[[Richard Petty]]'s 1970 426 C.I. [[Plymouth Superbird]] on display]]

Early in NASCAR's history, foreign manufacturers had shown interest in entering the series; the British car manufacturer, [[MG Cars|MG]], found a few of its vehicles entered, with some placing. For example, on August 16, 1963 in the International 200, Smokey Cook drove an MG to a 17th-place finish.<ref>{{cite web |author=((the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide)) |url=http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-racing/nascar/season-recaps/1960s/1963-nascar.htm |title="1963 NASCAR Grand National Chronology" |publisher=HowStuffWorks |access-date=February 26, 2014 |archive-date=December 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203012403/http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-racing/nascar/season-recaps/1960s/1963-nascar.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/racing/drivers/_/year/1959 |title=1959 NASCAR Grand National Drivers |publisher=ESPN |access-date=February 26, 2014 |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224063509/https://www.espn.com/racing/drivers/_/year/1959 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The first NASCAR competition held outside the US was in Canada, where on July 1, 1952, [[Buddy Shuman]] won a 200-lap race on a half-mile (800 m) dirt track in Stamford Park, [[Ontario]], near [[Niagara Falls]].