29.11.2006, 16:32
From Back Roads to the Big Time
A few decades ago , stock-car races weren’t the professionally run events that they are now, even though many organizations – including the United Stock Car Association, the Stock Car Auto Racing Society, and the National Championship Stock Car Circuit – sanctioned races. The schedule wasn’t organized; instead, random races were held and there, sprinkled throughout the southeastern United States wherever tracks were available (some were well-built, but most were pretty shoddy). Drivers didn’t race in each event, so fans had no idea which of their favorites would show up until they got to the track. Worse, some race promoters were less than honest, running off with the ticket receipt and race purses, never to be seen again.
![[Image: imagestc6.jpg]](http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/2628/imagestc6.jpg)
GARAGE TALK
Bill France, Sr., a tall, dynamic stock-car driver and race promoter, thought this was an unprofessional way to run a sport and was determined to set a standard for drivers and track owners. He decided to devote his energy to establishing one preeminent stock-car racing sanctioning body – NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Racing) – that would oversee different series. A racing series, such as the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, is similar to a baseball league, featuring a group of drivers who compete in a set number of events and follow rules determined by sanctioning body. At the end of the season, the sanctioning body in charge of making the rules, running the events, and making sure competitors follow the rules, crowns a series champion. That’s exactly what France, also known as “Big Bill”, created with his brainchild – NASCAR. In the beginning, France had several goals:
•Racetracks that were safe for the drivers, and track owners who repaired their facilities between races. If a car crashed into or through a guard rail, it would have to be repaired by the track owner before the next race.
•Rules that wouldn’t change from week to week or race to race. Before NASCAR was organized, different rules, which drove drivers distraction. Some even had quirky on-track rules, made up the morning of a race by a promoter seeking to make things more exciting. Because of these inconsistencies, drivers didn’t know what to expect when they showed up at a racetrack. These days, rules still occasionally change but are often studied for a period of months before being implemented.
•A set schedule allowing the same drivers to compete against one another each week. This way, a single national champion recognized by all could be crowned at the end of the year.
•A uniform point system to calculate which driver performed the best throughout the season. Drivers would earn points according to how they finished in a race, with the winner receiving the most points and the last-place driver getting the least. With a points system like that, the series could crown a definitive champion instead of having many “national champions” crowned at different tracks or in different, smaller series. Having just one national champion made winning the title something special.
•An insurance and benevolent fund: This was meant to give the drivers something to fall back on in case they got hurt or couldn’t compete due to injuries.
France’s goals were realized and today NASCAR sanctions several racing series. The top one is the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, and I spend most of the book talking about this series. I give you a quick rundown on the NASCAR Busch Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and several NASCAR touring series in Chapter 3.
A few decades ago , stock-car races weren’t the professionally run events that they are now, even though many organizations – including the United Stock Car Association, the Stock Car Auto Racing Society, and the National Championship Stock Car Circuit – sanctioned races. The schedule wasn’t organized; instead, random races were held and there, sprinkled throughout the southeastern United States wherever tracks were available (some were well-built, but most were pretty shoddy). Drivers didn’t race in each event, so fans had no idea which of their favorites would show up until they got to the track. Worse, some race promoters were less than honest, running off with the ticket receipt and race purses, never to be seen again.
GARAGE TALK
Bill France, Sr., a tall, dynamic stock-car driver and race promoter, thought this was an unprofessional way to run a sport and was determined to set a standard for drivers and track owners. He decided to devote his energy to establishing one preeminent stock-car racing sanctioning body – NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Racing) – that would oversee different series. A racing series, such as the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, is similar to a baseball league, featuring a group of drivers who compete in a set number of events and follow rules determined by sanctioning body. At the end of the season, the sanctioning body in charge of making the rules, running the events, and making sure competitors follow the rules, crowns a series champion. That’s exactly what France, also known as “Big Bill”, created with his brainchild – NASCAR. In the beginning, France had several goals:
•Racetracks that were safe for the drivers, and track owners who repaired their facilities between races. If a car crashed into or through a guard rail, it would have to be repaired by the track owner before the next race.
•Rules that wouldn’t change from week to week or race to race. Before NASCAR was organized, different rules, which drove drivers distraction. Some even had quirky on-track rules, made up the morning of a race by a promoter seeking to make things more exciting. Because of these inconsistencies, drivers didn’t know what to expect when they showed up at a racetrack. These days, rules still occasionally change but are often studied for a period of months before being implemented.
•A set schedule allowing the same drivers to compete against one another each week. This way, a single national champion recognized by all could be crowned at the end of the year.
•A uniform point system to calculate which driver performed the best throughout the season. Drivers would earn points according to how they finished in a race, with the winner receiving the most points and the last-place driver getting the least. With a points system like that, the series could crown a definitive champion instead of having many “national champions” crowned at different tracks or in different, smaller series. Having just one national champion made winning the title something special.
•An insurance and benevolent fund: This was meant to give the drivers something to fall back on in case they got hurt or couldn’t compete due to injuries.
France’s goals were realized and today NASCAR sanctions several racing series. The top one is the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, and I spend most of the book talking about this series. I give you a quick rundown on the NASCAR Busch Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and several NASCAR touring series in Chapter 3.