July is here and that means plenty of chances to see live NASCAR racing with tickets from Coast to Coast! The month kicks off with the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, and then it’s on to Chicagoland Speedway for the USG Sheetrock 400. The month ends with the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
NASCAR was founded in 1948 by Bill France Jr. The formation and subsequent success of NASCAR was based on an idea France Jr. had of racing “stock” cars or cars that anyone could purchase from any car dealer. This early decision established the fledgling racing circuit as a sport for the masses, and distinctly different from other racing circuits which used specially built and far more expensive cars for racing.
Current fans might not recognize the early years of NASCAR racing. In stark contrast to today, safety was not at the forefront of the racer’s minds. Seatbelts, when used, were often made of rope or aircraft harnesses, roll bars were nonexistent at first, and the windows had glass in them. Occasionally drivers even rented their car on the weekend of the race.
The first “modern” addition to NASCAR that could be considered “high performance”, thus removing an element of the stock car ethos, was the use of specialized tires. In 1952 the Pure Oil Company developed a tire especially for car racing. This non-stock item was allowed because they were promoting safety. This, and the mandatory addition of roll bars also in 1952, began the evolution from stock cars to the high performance vehicles we see racing today. Soon other modifications began to pop up as manufacturers began offering “severe usage” parts on their assembly line cars in order to get those parts into NASCAR cars as well. Manufacturers immediately understood the value of their parts and cars winning popular races.
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