The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) had humble origins over 70 years ago. Today, NASCAR and its iconic races attract millions of fans to tracks in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. Once seen as a uniquely American auto-racing discipline, NASCAR has expanded its global footprint. England’s Stephen Charles Clark, an accomplished racer with experience in numerous European track racing series, knows that NASCAR’s international future is growing brighter by the day.

Origins of NASCAR

NASCAR was founded in 1948 by Bill France Sr. in Daytona, Florida. Daytona Beach had become one of the world land speed record destinations in the 1920s and 30s, and it has a rich history of automotive racing. Stock car racing itself had its origins in the American Prohibition era, where moonshine runners modified stock passenger cars for extra speed and improved handling to evade law enforcement officials. Eventually, these same types of vehicles were exhibited in races in the Southern United States, and proved incredibly popular with racing fans of all ages.

The first sanctioned NASCAR race was held in Daytona in February, 1948 on a track partially comprised of Daytona Beach sand straightaways and a portion of State Highway A1A. In 1952, the privately-owned company held its first race outside the United States on a dirt track in Stamford Park, Ontario, Canada.

NASCAR Race Series

In its earliest iteration, NASCAR fielded three distinct racing divisions: Modified, Roadster, and Strictly Stock. The Roadster division was quickly dropped. Today, the company has evolved to support a broad range of racing classes and race series, including cars, trucks, and even electric race vehicles.

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Some of the most popular NASCAR race series include:

• NASCAR Cup Series
• NASCAR Xfinity Series
• NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
• NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series
• NASCAR FedEx Challenge Series
• NASCAR Whelen Euro Series

Of the roughly two dozen current and former series run by the NASCAR company, the Cup Series is by far the most popular. This series is the most prestigious and represents the highest level of American professional racing competition.

Some of the most recognizable race stars have participated in Cup Series races over the years, such as Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmy Johnson, and Cale Yarborough.

As a youth, Stephen Charles Clark gained inspiration from many of NASCAR’s leading superstars. The Cup Series takes place over 10 months of each calendar year and is comprised of 36 individual races, visiting iconic racetracks like the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina and the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

International Expansion of NASCAR

Over the years, many foreign automakers have expressed interest in fielding race cars in NASCAR-sanctioned races. Honda, in particular, has been in talks with NASCAR executives, and may join the racing ranks within the next few years. NASCAR itself has proposed racing series in countries like Japan, Russia, China, and Brazil. Stephen Clark, who has raced in England and on the European continent for over 30 years, believes that expansion into a global market can have positive effects on NASCAR’s popularity. Reaching new audiences is the future of motor racing, and with the right steps, NASCAR can ensure a bright and successful future, both on and off the track.

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