What is Stock Car Racing?
Are you a NASCAR fan? If so, you are already familiar with the concept of stock car racing. This type of race is run on a track, usually oval, that is anywhere from .25 to 2.66 miles in length. Most top level races range anywhere from 200 to 600 miles and cars can run over 200 miles per hour at some tracks. This is a fun sport for drivers and spectators alike.
The origin of stock car racing actually comes for the Prohibition years. When moonshine was outlawed in the 1920s, runners looked for ways to avoid the authorities. Often they would make runs together in upgraded vehicles to make their deliveries. Over time they started to compete against each other at race tracks. Rules were not consistent at the different race tracks though, which often caused problems. The first stock car organization was created to rectify this problem.
In 1948, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) was created by Bill France Sr. It was an organization decided to the regulation of this type of racing. The one requirement to participate was that all parts on cars entered in the race must be available for sale to the public. For this reason, many drivers would actually use their race car to arrive at the race.
Over the years these cars have improved significantly and now many safety features have been put into place. The sport has remained unchanged in many other ways though. It is estimated that millions watch the races every weekend and the Daytona 500 is an annual event that is looked forward to all year long. In many ways it is like the Super Bowl of racing, but it actually comes at the beginning of the season.
Stock car drivers use many techniques not seen in other forms of racing. A great example of this is contact racing. NASCAR rules allow for minor contact between cars. The driver benefits when he is able to move another vehicle out of his path or push a competitor forward to help himself. Most races prohibit this, but stock car racing embraces it.
Stock car racing is not as successful in other parts of the world, but many countries do offer this type of sport for those who are interested. Other countries have made modifications to the rules though. For example, in the United Kingdom, stock cars don't perform like cars that may actually be driven on the road. They are similar in appearance, but many other changes have been made.