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NASCAR Popularity: Moving in the Fast Lane 

By Leonard Blasso, Transatlantic Times

 

“Drivers start your engines!” was the command given to ignite a multitude of fuel hogging machines fired up at the start of the Daytona 500 last February. Making the startup announcement on that occasion was none other than US President George W. Bush, thus marking how seriously NASCAR racing is taken. Billed by its operators, International Speedway Corporation as “the biggest, richest, and most prestigious race of the year,” the Daytona 500 held in Florida celebrated its 46^th anniversary in 2004. Just one of a number of NASCAR events held throughout the year, the Daytona is referred to as “The Great American Race.”  And NASCAR itself is indeed a uniquely American Phenomenon. As we explore the reasons for the already huge and still growing popularity of NASCAR, we will lay out a brief history of the sport including who started it, why it became so popular, who are the NASCAR fans, and where the race is going from here.

 History: From Moonshine Running to Legitimate Sport

According to the historians at NASCAR-Info.Net, today’s NASCAR racing had its roots in the illicit activity of transporting “bootleg” or “moonshine” liquor. From there, stock car racing has evolved into the very legitimate and highly lucrative sport that it is today. Moonshine runners or “bootleggers” as they were more popularly known came into being in the US during the prohibition era of the 1920s and 30s. Their objective was to transport illegally manufactured liquor to waiting markets, mostly in the Southeast. Doing this required extremely high speed, skillful driving to avoid capture by pursuing law enforcement officers. As the bootlegging practice continued to thrive, the drivers began to race among themselves just for the fun of it and to see who had the fastest cars. Eventually, the races attracted audiences and became extremely popular on southern back roads. The bootlegging and racing continued even after prohibition ended. In 1938, the first formal stock car race ever run was organized and held on the firm sand of Daytona Beach in Florida. A man named Bill France was the organizer of that race, and prizes included a bottle of rum, a box of cigars, and a case of motor oil.  Unofficial races continued until after the brief interruption of World War II when Mr. France convened a group of promoters in 1947 to establish a national sanctioning body for stock car racing. After 3 days of drawing up rules at the Ebony Bar in the Streamline Inn at Daytona, the group decided on the name NASCAR- The National Association for Stock Car Racing.

 The first official NASCAR race in the “Strictly Stock” division was held at the Charlotte, North Carolina Fairgrounds on June 19, 1949. It was the forerunner to today’s Winston Cup Series. According to the rules, the “Strictly Stock” division was open to competitors who drove “full-sized, American made passenger cars with complete bodies, hoods, fenders, bumpers, and grilles- all parts required to be listed in the manufacturer’s catalog for each model.” The actual race winner, Glenn Dunaway, was disqualified because his car had been modified for additional speed for bootlegging runs. Credit for the win then defaulted to Jim Roper, the first runner-up. 

 The first official track or “superspeedway” was opened in 1950 at Darlington, South Carolina, and despite setbacks caused by a major speedway accident in 1957 in Martinsville, West Virginia and the subsequent pull out of sponsorship of all the major auto manufacturers, NASCAR racing continued to grow and was given a substantial boost in 1959 with the completion and opening of the Daytona 500 track. Up to that point, no one had ever witnessed the spectacle of such high speed driving and fierce competition on a large track as exhibited in that track’s first race.  Lee Petty’s Oldsmobile beat out Johnny Beauchamp’s Ford by a fraction of a car length in a photo finish after 500 miles of racing. The 2.5 mile track, of which every part is visible to every spectator in the grandstand was built on swampland just four miles from the ocean. Since that time, many new tracks have been built and now Winston Cup (recently replaced by Nextel sponsorship) races are held in New Hampshire, Michigan, California, Arizona, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Texas, and Nevada. NASCAR exhibition races have even been held in Suzuka, Japan. A huge boost came to the sport in the 1980s when corporate sponsors fully realized the benefits of involvement in racing by sponsoring a team or by sponsoring a race by itself. The popularity continues unabated.

 Fuel for Growth: Daytona, Superstars, Winston, and Television

Aside from some major setbacks described earlier, NASCAR continued to flourish as a result of a combination of significant factors. One of these was the just mentioned opening of the Daytona 500 in 1959. Because of weeks of hype preceding the race, the event received major news coverage and was heavily attended. The famous newscaster Walter Cronkite was on hand to cover the thrilling event that proved to be a huge success despite critics who thought that Bill France would be financially ruined by the venture. This marked the true beginning of serious NASCAR popularity.

 At nearly the same time as the opening of the Daytona race came the appearance of NASCAR’s first “Superstar,” “Fireball” Roberts. Starting in 1958, Roberts won 32 races over his career and caught the attention of a growing audience. But following Roberts’ untimely death in a 1964 crash, another famous racing personality, Richard Petty, replaced him as the idol of NASCAR fans. Some NASCAR historians refer to Petty as the “King” who kept NASCAR strong. Winning the first Daytona 500 race in 1959, Petty went on to fill his 35-year career with an unprecedented number of records, most of which have not been broken to this day. Fans filled the grandstands to watch events that included Petty’s seven NASCAR championships and seven Daytona 500 victories. Petty retired in 1992, but according to NASCAR history (Source: NASCAR-info.net,) Petty’s “heartfelt appreciation for all his fans… as well as his racing exploits carried NASCAR from a time of crisis to a time of prosperity.” Paralleling Petty in NASCAR popularity was Dale Earnhardt who won seven Winston Cup championships. His aggressive driving style garnered him a loyal following but also resulted in polarizing fans in their preferences. There were instances in which sections of the stands at certain racetracks were divided into areas that either loved or hated Earnhardt. After losing his life in a tragic racing accident in 2001, Earnhardt passed the championship distinction to his son. Dale Junior took over in popularity where his father left off, winning the 2004 Daytona 500.  In fact, Earnhardt Junior earned substantial publicity immediately following the winning of his fifth Talladega track victory (another race in the Nextel series.) When asked by TNT/NBC pit reporter Matt Yocum how he felt about winning five times at Talladega, Earnhardt replied “It don’t mean s--- right now. Daddy’s won here ten times.” He was referring to his late father’s record. The young Earnhardt was heavily fined for the remark and was forced to forfeit 25 championship points for the profanity. 

 Prosperity surged for NASCAR in 1971 when the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, manufacturers of Winston cigarettes made a deal to put advertising dollars into NASCAR sponsorship. Thus was established the famous Winston Cup racing series that has continued until January 2004. Major tobacco money, therefore, replaced the previous heavy backing of auto manufacturers bringing with it increased financial stability. In recent developments, R.J. Reynolds’ backing was displaced when sponsorship was handed over to Nextel Corporation last year. Commenting on the new Nextel sponsorship, NASCAR president Mike Helton said, “In the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series alone, we are modifying the format we use to determine the champion.” Thus began a new era in NASCAR with the creation of the closest championship battle in the sport’s history.  

 In addition to superstars and high profile sponsors, television has played a major role in the popularization of NASCAR. In 1970, the ABC TV network began to televise segments of NASCAR races on its “Wide World of Sports” programs. This attracted huge sponsorship. Later on, in February 1979, in what may possibly be the race that brought NASCAR to its current popularity, the Daytona 500 was televised from flag to flag by CBS television. It is estimated that 20 million people tuned in that day to watch the race. Because of it’s exciting finish following a collision and a fistfight between competing drivers, many historians regard that race as the one that helped bring NASCAR to where it is today. Richard Petty won that race by a car length.

 Who Watches NASCAR Races?

According to the historians at NASCAR-Info.net, “NASCAR has evolved to a point where racing is no longer a sport for Southern ‘rednecks.’ It has grown from its Southeastern roots to places nationwide.” A recent Gallup poll has shown that 28% of all Americans are full-blooded race fans. Of that group, 38% are women; 53% work in professional, managerial, or skilled labor positions. The median yearly total income of a family of race fans is over $50,000. In addition to the huge crowds who fill the grandstands at the NASCAR tracks, millions more of viewers regularly tune in to the races on network television. The races now seriously compete with football in popularity. Why does this motor sport attract so many spectators? When we posed this question recently in an interview with John R. Calton, retired 35-year“Dirt Track” race driver and owner of Calton’s Used Auto Parts in Elkridge, Maryland, he replied, “It’s the thrill and excitement of it. People come to see them tearing up the cars and all the action. It is so competitive. I think it’s more exciting than football.”

 What’s Ahead

In a recent article for USA Today by sports writer Chris Jenkins, the writer said, “Unlike previous generations of up-and coming race car drivers, many of today’s hot young stars don’t have a career in Indy-style racing as their ultimate goal. Promising drivers are leaving Indy for NASCAR…” The article continues to say that although Indy-style races still draw substantial crowds, the NASCAR Class AAA-level Busch Series “routinely trounces rank-and-file Indy-style races in weekly TV ratings.” Later on in the story, Jenkins indicates that “young drivers who once would have given anything to race at Indy are paying more attention to the potential upside of a NASCAR career. The cars are less fragile than Indy cars, allowing drivers to bang fenders. NASCAR races almost every weekend, a plus in the minds of young drivers. And the career window is bigger: Even average NASCAR drivers race well into their 40s.” Furthermore, substantial amounts of money are involved. NASCAR drivers’ income has skyrocketed in the past decade as Fortune 500 companies and TV networks have dramatically increased their involvement.

 So, as a result of the lure of huge earnings and frequent races, NASCAR has been successful at attracting and keeping what fans want most: an elite group of “superstar” drivers.  And, numbered among this pack of new drivers are the offspring or relatives of retired Indy 500 drivers and some former Indy 500 drivers themselves. Names such as Andretti, Foyt, Mears, and Gordon, well known among Indy fans, now appear regularly on the roster of NASCAR competitors. Casey Mears, nephew of retired Indy driver Rick Mears often races against Larry Foyt, son of Indy legend A.J. Foyt. Robby Gordon is the son of Jeff Gordon, a former Indy driver who defected into NASCAR himself. And even non-racing fans recognize the name of Andretti. John Andretti, now a popular NASCAR driver is the son of the famed Mario Andretti and at one time, drove in Indy competitions like his dad. Still holding onto their Indy “ties” California drivers John Andretti and Tony Stewart have driven in both the Indy 500/Coca Cola 600 “double,” and then jetted between Indianapolis and Charlotte to race 1,100 miles in one day. Reflecting their sentiments, Casey Mears, now a regular in NASCAR’s Busch series has said, “I still want to run Indy. But I’ve got to tell you, the more I’ve run here and the more I get to know this side of things, I’m absolutely having a blast.”  While saying that he just went to NASCAR for a good opportunity, he added, “It just all starts adding up. Obviously, the longevity of a driver’s career here seems to be longer. The racing’s fun. You get to run more races. Sponsorship seems to be a little bit more stable. It’s just stronger in the public eye.” As retired Indy 500 legend and current NASCAR team owner A.J. Foyt has said, “If you’re a good race driver, you’ve got to go where the money is.”

 The bottom line of all this popularity is that fans can expect their sport to have a bright and lasting future. You will very likely see more tracks being built and more races run at a wider array of venues in the days and years ahead.

 A Race Without End

Having explored some of the historic ins and outs of America’s most popular motor sport and having discovered who sits in the audience and what are some of the secrets of NASCAR popularity, I was able to draw at least two substantial conclusions. With dozens of aspiring young drivers being brought up behind the excitement of NASCAR competition, there will be no shortage in the supply of driving “superstars.” And, coupled with the recently attained high tech company sponsorship, it certainly appears as though NASCAR right now is one “great American race” with no end in sight.

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