Founded in 1948, NASCAR was based on the idea of ​​racing with cars that anyone can buy. It was meant to be different from other race tracks where only specially built cars could race. In the early years, safety was not a priority for NASCAR drivers. With safety belts made of rope, windows that had glass, and no roll bars, cars were sometimes rented for race weekend.

The first modern addition was the use of specialty tires, when Pure Oil Company developed a tire intended for use in auto racing in 1952. The same year, it became mandatory to add roll bars and movement from stock cars to stock cars. high performance We see that today the races began.

They were not only changing the cars, but also the race tracks. Although the first races took place on dirt tracks, in 1950 the first superspeed track was built in Darlington, Southern California. The newer tracks were both wider and longer, with higher banks. Daytona International Speedway opened in 1959 and immediately became the most famous stock car race track.

The Winston Cup Series was established in 1972 after RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company partnered with NASCAR. The following period was dominated by Dale Earnhardt, who would become the most popular racer, winning 76 races and finishing in the top ten 428 times.

Unfortunately, Dale Earnhardt died in a tragic accident in 2001. His death inspired a movement toward additional safety standards for all cars. And thanks to these new safety standards, no driver has died on the track since 2002.

Each car is inspected before a race to verify compliance with safety rules and regulations. The first five cars to finish are re-inspected after the race. Since the introduction of the Car of Today, the car body is similar to that of other cars, while inside there are different engines and configurations.

The conditions of the track, or of the car and tires are controlled by the boss of each team. Wall crews are required to wear helmets, full fire suits, and gloves. The driver’s restraint system was a major concern and changes were made to the head and neck support systems. Track barrier systems were changed to better absorb shocks.

Efforts to redesign the cars led to the design of a program called “The Car of Tomorrow.” Such a car would be safer and more profitable to make. The teams wanted better front and rear bumpers and fire suppression systems. But a more complete change led to a highly standardized car with more than 200 defined points, standardized chassis and bodywork. The car of tomorrow reduces costs because you don’t need multiple versions of a car. With improved safety and reduced vehicle costs, the new vehicle standard is used on the tracks today.

The universal car will force teams to focus on more advanced engineering, but the most important thing for NASCAR’s future will be whether fans like what they see. NASCAR is now a multi-billion dollar industry, with 100 races each year, and it is the fastest growing spectator sport in the US.