Stock car racing in the States can trace its roots right back to the Prohibition era when, to outrun law enforcement running moonshine on country roads, bootleggers started souping-up and stripping out showroom cars. Not surprisingly, with all these modified machines around a number of these now redundant bootleggers started to race each other following the lift of the alcohol ban in 1933. They also started to get paid for going door-to-door at high speeds in front of growing crowds at local fairgrounds and speedways.
After motorsport took a break during World War II, the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) was founded in 1948 by the fabled Bill France as an organising body (photo left: the inaugural meeting in Daytona Florida organised by Bill France to conceive NASCAR – credit Getty/NASCAR), and a proper professional race series was created for many of these ex-moonshiners.
Over the following 75 years the cars have evolved to enhance both safety and performance but the regulations have always stayed loyal to the fundamental ethos of a big V8 engine up front powering the rear wheels, all housed within a familiar showroom-appearing body. It’s a stunning formula which has proven both hugely popular and profitable over the eras attracting a massive fan-following throughout the US.
“Rather like Baseball and American Football, NASCAR is a mega sport in the States which stirs up substantial interest overseas – that’s why it’s so exciting to be celebrating this special anniversary on track at Silverstone Festival,” explained Nick Wigley, Event Director. “It’s a very topical milestone as we are also celebrating the 75th anniversary of Silverstone itself at this summer’s Festival as well as the 75th. birthdays of two of the greatest sporting marques, Lotus and Porsche, plus Jaguar’s brand-defining XK120. In so many ways 1948 was clearly a very special year in motoring and motorsport history on both sides of the Atlantic.”
