Racing had long been popular in this country. The Indianapolis 500 had become an American institution almost from its first running in 1911. But Indy cars were custom-built supercars. What many people wanted was to be able to race the “stock” cars they’d taken home from the dealership. Thus stock car racing became a popular activity at small tracks, county fairs, and the like. The problem was that stock car racing lacked any structure or respectability. The sport was loaded with huckster promoters who often disappeared with the purse the moment the green flag dropped, and there was no standardization of rules from one race to the next.

It is in this respect that France became the true pioneer of stock car racing in this country. France proposed forming a sanctioning body that would oversee the staging and promotion of all the smaller races, pay out the purses, and standardize and enforce the rules. The body would also develop a points system to crown a season champion. Thus, NASCAR was born.

See also:

• America's Fastest-Growing Sport
• Bootlegging Roots
• NASCAR History
• NASCAR Lore: The Call
• Television
• The Birth of NASCAR
• The Daytona 500
• The Growth of the Sport