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==History==
==History==
NASCAR was founded on in 1948 by William "Bill" France Sr. in Daytona Beach, Florida, as a response to issues with the disorganized nature of stock car racing at the time. Over the next two-plus decades, France would successfully organize stock car racing into divisions, with the top one originally being known as "strictly stock", for how the almost entirely all-American cars were not allowed to be modified. When that rule was relaxed later on, the top division was renamed the "Grand National". Most races of the early days were run on short tracks of the American Southeast, although with some exceptions, notably Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina and then Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, which became NASCAR's premier track in 1959 after repleacing the actual sandy beach that had previously been used.
NASCAR was founded on in 1948 by William "Bill" France Sr. in Daytona Beach, Florida, as a response to issues with the disorganized nature of stock car racing at the time. Over the next two-plus decades, France would successfully organize stock car racing into divisions, with the top one originally being known as "strictly stock", for how the almost entirely all-American cars were not allowed to be modified. When that rule was relaxed later on, the top division was renamed the "Grand National". Most races of the early days were run on short oval tracks of the American Southeast, although with some exceptions, notably Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina and then Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, which became NASCAR's premier track in 1959 after repleacing the actual sandy beach that had previously been used.
As the sport grew, NASCAR underwent a transformation in the early 1970s. In 1970, NASCAR signed a title sponsorship deal with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, renaming their top division the "Winston Cup" Series, and giving the title of Grand National to the second division. Two years later, Reynolds would push NASCAR into dropping all dirt tracks and races of under 100 miles. These moves marked the beginning of NASCAR's modern era, and would be key to NASCAR's growth into the top level of American motorsport. That growth would be done without the sport's founder, though, as Bill France Sr. retired in 1970 and his son, Bill France Jr., replaced him.
As the sport grew, NASCAR underwent a transformation in the early 1970s. In 1970, NASCAR signed a title sponsorship deal with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, renaming their top division the "Winston Cup" Series, and giving the title of Grand National to the second division. Two years later, Reynolds would push NASCAR into dropping all dirt tracks and races of under 100 miles. These moves marked the beginning of NASCAR's modern era, and would be key to NASCAR's growth into the top level of American motorsport. That growth would be done without the sport's founder, though, as Bill France Sr. retired in 1970 and his son, Bill France Jr., replaced him.
==Culture==
==Culture==
All the while, NASCAR's culture has been intricately shaped by its conservative American roots. Nowadays, it is a common activity for fans to trek to races with their RVs and tailgate on an oval track's infield. It is common for the owners to put up a tall flagpole to fly a flags of their favorite driver along with that of the Confederacy. This practice has drawn criticism as African-American drivers have begun to enther the NASCAR ranks, but has remained due to the strength of NASCAR's roots in the American South. During his 2004 reelection campaign, President George W. Bush recognized NASCAR's impact on conservative America by visiting the Daytona 500 to draw the votes of "NASCAR dads". Conversely, NASCAR has also made its own contributions to conservative American culture: bumper stickers of a driver's number can often be seen on the back of their fans' cars, especially the famous #3 of Dale Earnhardt and the #8 of his son.
[[Category:Sports]]
[[Category:Sports]]