Many people don’t know the true origins of NASCAR but the fact is that, without the illegal bootlegging of alcohol during prohibition, NASCAR may not have ever been born. These bootleggers had a lot to lose running illegal alcohol, so they had to drive as fast as possible to avoid being caught by the authorities. One of the most interesting NASCAR facts is that in the early years, drivers would use the same cars that people drove on the street. This includes Buicks, Cadillacs, and Oldsmobiles. Read on to learn 5 more facts about NASCAR.
5 Speedy NASCAR Facts
- The “inventor” of NASCAR as we know it today is William “Bill” France Sr. (1909-1992). (source) France didn’t like how races were being run and felt there was a need for a governing body for overall rules and promotion. In February of 1948, NASCAR was officially incorporated.
- NASCAR drivers can cover almost the full length of a football field in one second. (source) Drivers get to speeds over 200 miles per hour and it takes them only around 3 to 3.5 seconds to go from zero to 60 mph.
- Drivers can lose up to 10lbs during a race.(source) Temperatures inside of the cars on race day can easily reach 140 to 170 degrees. The fire suits they wear also adds to the immense heat. Add insane focus, stress, and the stamina it takes to drive in a race and it is no wonder this type of weight fluctuation routinely occurs.
- During turns, NASCAR drivers routinely experience up to 3 Gs of force. (source) This is what space shuttle astronauts feel during launches.
- The most winningest driver in the history of NASCAR racing is Richard Petty. (source) He won 200 NASCAR races including the Daytona 500 seven times. He also invented the window net to help protect the drivers during a crash.
