Cheers to 75 Years of NASCAR

On Feb. 21, NASCAR will officially be 75 years old.

After several years of racing informally, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) was officially founded on Feb. 21, 1948, at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach, Fla. This came 69 days after the initial meeting on Dec. 14, 1947.

The city is now the site of the opening race of the season, the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, but that racetrack and subsequent crown jewel race didn’t come into existence until 1959.

While the Daytona 500 is set to kick off the 75th season on Feb. 19, it was instead the Daytona Beach and Road Course that served as the first ever NASCAR-sanctioned race on Feb. 15, 1948 (days before its official founding). As a reflection of that first season, and in honor of the 75th anniversary, let’s take a look at some of the history-makers in that first season of racing.

Bill France Sr.

Perhaps the most influential name in early NASCAR history is that of Bill France Sr. “Big Bill” had spent many years trying to find a way to organize a profession of racecar drivers, and after failing to secure financial backing, went his own way to create his own stock car series.

France’s first interest in organizing a professional group came in 1947, and once he founded NASCAR, its popularity took off. He then built Daytona in 1959 as a means of moving away from the Beach and Road Course. Just 10 years later, he built its sister track, Talladega Superspeedway. Both tracks remain on the schedule to this day.

France’s legacy in NASCAR continues on today through his family lineage. His son, Bill France Jr., was the CEO of NASCAR from 1972-2003. His grandson Brian (Bill Jr.’s son) became CEO in 2003 after Bill Jr.’s retirement, holding the office until 2018, when he was succeeded by his uncle, Jim France, Bill Sr.’s son and Bill Jr.’s brother.

A family affair, indeed.

Red Vogt

While Red Vogt is one of the greatest mechanics in NASCAR history, Vogt actually came up with the name “NASCAR”. In preliminary meetings about the formation of NASCAR, France had originally suggested the name NSCRA, short for the National Stock Car Racing Association. However, it was discovered that the name was actually taken, leading to Vogt’s proposal of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.

Vogt went on to have a Hall-of-Fame career of his own. He teamed up with fellow Hall of Famer Raymond Parks to field a car…