A key to the growth of NASCAR was the involvement of the “Big Three” automakers, beginning in the 1950s. Ford, General Motors, and Chevrolet saw NASCAR as an opportunity to promote sales by supporting NASCAR teams. This partnership funneled much-needed money into the sport, and “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday” became a catchphrase in the Detroit marketing world.

Originally popular primarily in the southeastern United States, NASCAR has grown in recent years into a national phenomenon, thanks in large part to a national television contract signed in 2001. Today, NASCAR claims 75 million fans – a 19 percent jump since 1995 – and is the fastest-growing professional sport in the United States. Seventeen of the 20 largest sporting events in the country each year – in terms of fan attendance – are NASCAR Nextel Cup races, and a NASCAR weekend has become a huge draw thanks to its gregarious fans and party atmosphere. Many fans camp out at the track for the entire weekend or longer, forming a makeshift city that often dwarfs the size of the city where the race is being held.

See also:

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