Speeding Through Speeding Through the Yearsthe Years

A Brief History A Brief History of NASCARof NASCAR

Created by Dallas Duncan and Dr. Frank Flanders

August 2010

What is NASCAR?What is NASCAR?• Short for National

Association for Stock Car Auto Racing

• Three series– Sprint Cup series– Nationwide series– Camping World Truck

series• Began in 1953 in

Daytona, Florida, where NASCAR still calls home Aerial view of Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Fla.

Some Names to KnowSome Names to Know

• Richard Petty, “The King”

• Dale Earnhardt, “The Intimidator”

• Bill Elliot, “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville”

• Cale Yarborough, winner of three consecutive championships

Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Model of

Bill Elliot’s McDonalds car, and

Cale Yarborough

TracksideTrackside• More than 1,200 races at 100

tracks across North America• First race was held Feb. 15,

1948• First Sprint Cup (formerly

NASCAR Grand National, Winston Cup, Nextel Cup) event in 1949

• Nationwide (formerly Busch) series began in 1982

• Camping World (formerly Craftsman) truck series began in 1994

Thousands of fans pack NASCAR stadiums each race weekend to watch three high-speed chases

for victory

Racing Comes to the MassesRacing Comes to the Masses• 1979: Daytona 500 becomes

the first 500-mile race in history to be telecast live

• 1989: Every race on the Cup series schedule is televised live

• Early 1990s: NASCAR feature stories in Sports Illustrated and Forbes magazines

• 1995: NASCAR website launched

• 1993 – 1998: Race attendance grows by 57 percent

Being in sponsors’ TV commercials helps drivers such as Kasey Kahne market not only the sponsor, but NASCAR as a whole

Racing Comes to the MassesRacing Comes to the Masses

• 1999: NASCAR consolidates a TV package with FOX Sports and NBC Sports; Dodge vehicles come back to the tracks

• 2004: Chase for the Cup introduced

• 2006: Toyota begins racing vehicles

Sprint Cup series Driver Mark Martin gets interviewed for a pre-race TV program

Big Name SponsorsBig Name Sponsors• Companies and brands can sponsor

actual races or maybe located on cars, pit stops and uniforms

• Official sponsors include:– Coca-Cola (Official Soft Drink)– Gillette (Official Shaving Product)– Goodyear (Official Tire)– Tylenol (Official Pain Reliever)– UPS (Official Delivery Service)– Chevrolet, Dodge and Toyota

(Official Passenger Cars)– Ford Trucks (Official Truck)

Sunoco is the Official Fuel of NASCAR. Advertisements for it can be seen all over the

tracks.

Money MakersMoney Makers

• NASCAR brings in revenue from advertising sponsors, ticket sales, merchandise sales and hosting other events at racetracks

NASCAR brings in revenue from selling driver-related merchandise, such as this fan’s jersey, pants, and hat.

CAUTION!CAUTION!

• As with any sport, NASCAR races come with their share of risks and intense competition…

NASCAR Camping World Truck series driver Rick Crawford takes his truck behind the wall to be worked on, in hopes he can come back out to finish the race

Economics of Big BusinessEconomics of Big Business• Tracks contribute millions

of dollars annually to local economies

• Despite a 15-year-long growth period, NASCAR race attendance began to decrease in 2006

• Fewer advertising dollars are pouring into TV stations, meaning changes coming to NASCAR broadcasts