Legends Never Die

The men formed a new organization under Bill France that set the rules and standards of stock car racing. Now, the infant organization needed a name; some considered were National Championship Stock Car Circuit and National Stock Car Racing Association. These were not satisfying though. Red Vogt suggested National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. NASCAR was adopted as the name of the new stock car racing organization.
             The first NASCAR race was held on Daytona Beach six days before the official papers were finalized. Robert Red' Byron in Raymond Parks', 1939, Ford won that event. The beach race was the first of fifty-two events that were run that inaugural season. In 1948, a circuit for new cars, postwar models, was planned but never materialized; cars were excessively scarce. Availability increased and by 1949, cars were flowing into dealerships. NASCAR tried the idea again, first as part of sub-event in southern Florida. The event was moderately successful so France made plans for a "strictly stock- race the spring on the three-quarter mile dirt oval in Charlotte, N.C. The response to the strictly stock race was immediate; fans flocked to the track. The race had a thirty-three-car field that included a female driver, Sarah Christian; she started thirteenth in her husband's Ford. Jim Roper won the first "strictly stock- event and Glen Dunnaway became the circuit's first disqualification because his Ford was found to have altered rear springs in the post race inspection. (Carlton 27, 28) Quickly seven more events were scheduled. .
             In 1950, the circuit grew and was named the NASCAR Grand National Series. That season the circuit held it's first race on a paved track and tried their first five hundred mile race. No one was sure if a stock car could last five hundred miles so seventy-five cars were allowed to try. Both occurred at Darlington Superspeedway in Darlington, S.C. on the first Monday of September.