The history of NASCAR not unlike the history of the United States: a beautiful story bereft with turbulence, defiance and perseverance. During alcohol prohibition, moonshiners operating near the southern border of Texas would soup up their cars in order to outrun the local law enforcement. Federal Tax Agents would always be on the prowl to pick up a moonshine deliverer so the race was always on. Even after the fall of Prohibition the moonshine trade continue to prosper in rural area.
Moonshine is a type of whiskey that is distilled from corn and potatoes among other things, and since it was home-brewed it was difficult to distinguish its source. Over the generations the moonshiners continuously upgraded their delivery vehicles and continued outrunning the law. Naturally it became standard for moonshiners start bragging and talking smack. Out of this came informal races that the moonshiners would hold to determine which runner was the fastest; not only was this new sport about having the fastest car but also about outsmarting and outdriving all the competition which included the law.
After World War II these races became more organized, yet hardly anyone began calling it an organized sport until the arrival of Big Bill France on the scene.
Big Bill France organized the first meetings for all of the drivers, mechanics and owners to confirm a set of standard rules for racing. These meetings gave birth to the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The first official NASCAR race was held at Daytona Beach on February 15, 1948. Red Byron was the winner of this inaugural race in his Ford Flathead V8 on the hard-packed sands of the Atlantic Ocean. This was long before the famed Daytona tri-oval that is the Mecca of the sport today.
No more than a week later NASCAR became incorporated and Big Bill was appointed its first commissioner. By the late 1950’s NASCAR was already on its way to becoming Americas largest spectator sport. Throughout the years NASCAR has seen its share of amazing races, clashing competitors and close calls.
In 1992 when Richard Petty retired as a driver NASCAR made a transition from the old school drivers to the new school. Drivers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart have brought a whole new art to racing NASCAR. From old-time moonshine runners to well spoken race car drivers, NASCAR has come a long way. From viewing the sport in present time one would never think that its origins came from an illegal collaboration of old school whiskey making countrymen.