Today in 1948 NASCAR was born !

• 

It was on this very day in 1948 when an organisation called the National Association for Stock Car Racing was founded – or NASCAR as it became better known. Now a multi-billion dollar industry, NASCAR famously started from moonshine brewers on the run. But it was founder ‘Big Bill’ France Sr. who found the time was there for some rules in racing in the 1940s. And he made a point right after the very first race at the Charlotte Speedway in North Carolina. Glenn Dunnaway’s Ford was the first to cross the line after a 200-lap race there, but it was Jim Roper who collected the $2,000 prize money after Dunnaway was disqualified for illegal rear springs.

But perhaps even more than for its bootleggin’ history NASCAR became known for its Trophy Girls – the cheerleaders of stock car racing who don’t sing or dance around to promote their team, but who just hand over the trophy and a kiss to the winner and wave a flag every now and then. Scantily clad since the late 1950s, but not so much in the early days as this lady proves. Like the NASCAR cars they have pretty much evolved from the modest start…

(Words Jeroen Booij, picture courtesy stock car racers reunion)
 

Kommentar abgeben...