NASCAR's History
In the first few decades of the 1900s, Daytona Beach became known as the place to set world land speed records. The beach became a mecca for racing enthusiasts, and fifteen records were set on this beach between 1905 and 1935. Then, in 1936, the Bonneville Salt Flats became the premier place to host land speed record attempts, so in 1936 the Daytona course began hosting car racing events. Drivers raced a 1.5 to 2 mile stretch of beach as one straightaway, and beachfront highway A1A as the other.
Early race drivers were often involved in bootlegging. That is how some afforded the fastest and therefore most expensive machines--with their moonshine profits. They ran moonshine down the twisty mountain roads to people during alcohol prohibition. The runners would modify their cars in order to create a faster, more maneuverable vehicle to evade the police, and came to love the fast paced driving. One of the main 'strips' in Knoxville, TN had its beginning as a mecca for aspiring bootlegging drivers. When the U.S. alcohol prohibition was lifted in 1933, the owners of these first "racecars" watched their profitable businesses dry up. Since they had no reason to use them for "runnin' shine" anymore and found themselves with time on their hands and a lot of money, many wanted to race their cars for pride and money. These races were popular entertainment in the rural Southern United States, and they are most closely associated with the Wilkes County region of North Carolina. Most races in those days were of modified cars, street vehicles which were lightened and reinforced.
