NASCAR is the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. While similar races had been run for several years, a race at the Charlotte (N.C.) Fairgrounds on June 19, 1949 is considered to be the first official NASCAR race.
On September 4, 1950, the first Southern 500 race was held at Darlington, South Carolina "superspeedway", a novelty at the time, but now one of the smaller tracks. Corporate sponsorship of NASCAR, which is such a big, and visible, sign of NASCR racing began in the 1950's. The Daytona International Speedway, home of the Daytona 500, opened in 1959.
Check here for a complete, detailed history of NASCAR racing.
Each year, NASCAR gives awards to the
most popular driver,
the rookie of the year,
and an overall, or Series, Champion.
NASCAR has named a champion every year since 1949 (Red Byron in an Oldsmobile). Here is the long-standing point system for the former Winston Cup which had been in place since 1975.
Most NASCAR racing fans had come to identify the overall, or Series, champion as the Winston Cup Series Champion. However, sponsorship switched to Nextel. And the Series is now called the Nextel Cup. And beginning in 2004, a new point system was started, which includes a 10-race final 'Chase for the Cup'. The most popular drivers through the years include:
Richard Petty,
Cale Yarborough,
Bobby Allison,
Darrell Waltrip,
Rusty Wallace,
Bill Elliott and,
Dale Earnhardt. Perhaps, no one did more than Richard Petty to get NASCAR racing to where it is today. Petty was the NASCAR Champion for a record 7 years, first in 1964 and last in 1979.
A list of the best racers by the numbers is
here.
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