Observed across the United States on the third Friday in May is NASCAR Day. This day is a celebration of NASCAR drivers, celebrities, corporate partners, media and millions of fans coming together to raise funds for charitable causes. “We believe our greatest asset is the power and passion of our NASCAR fans: passion both for the sport and for giving back. NASCAR Day is an annual celebration of this NASCAR spirit.”
- NASCAR stands for the ‘National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing’. It was founded on February 21st, 1948 by William France, Sr., along with other drivers.
- The original three divisions included Modified, Roadster, and Strictly Stock.
- The first Strictly Stock race was held at Charlotte Speedway on June 19th, 1949.
- The first NASCAR race held outside of the U.S. took place on July 1st, 1952, near Niagara Falls, Ontario.
- The only sport in the United States with more fans than NASCAR is professional football.
- The average NASCAR car can reach speeds of 150 miles per hour to over 200 miles per hour. This would be the same as traveling the length of a football field in only one second.
- The temperature in a NASCAR car can reach 170 degrees. Drivers experience between two and three G’s when making turns on the track. This is equal to up to three times the force of gravity.
- During a race a NASCAR driver can lose as much as 10 pounds from body sweat. They must stay hydrated or they can lose their ability to focus.
- A NASCAR race team will wear out over 15 sets of tires a week.
- During a three hour race, the heart rate of a NASCAR driver is 120-150 beats per minute. This is the same as the heart rate of a marathon runner.
- A NASCAR race car driver has the same skill as a hockey goalie or quarterback in anticipating what will happen.
- With over 75 million American fanatics, NASCAR is the most prominent auto racing sport with races being broadcast in over 150 countries worldwide.
- Purchases of licensed products by its fans amount to revenue of over $3 billion annually. For a sport with such humble beginnings, its popularity has become quite immense.
- Michael Waltrip started a record 463 NASCAR races without earning a victory. He broke his streak of bad luck when he won the 2001 Daytona 500, a race mired in tragedy.
- Janet Guthrie was the first ever woman to compete in a Winston Cup race in 1976, finishing 15th in the World 600 race.
- The 1979 Daytona 500 became the first 500-mile auto race to be televised live and in its entirety
- NASCAR racer Danica Patrick has no shortage of fans, but the “First Lady of Racing” is Louise Smith, who secretly entered a 1947 stock car race using her husband’s Ford Coupe. She continued to compete from 1945 to 1956, and won 38 races in various formats. She is the inspiration for the Cars 3 character Louise “Barnstormer” Nash.
- On October 4, 1998, the “Batman vs. The Joker: Showdown at Charlotte” took place with a race between Dale Jarrett’s Batman-themed No. 88, and Kenny Irwin’s Joker-themed No. 28, both Ford Tauruses. There was even a promotional comic released coinciding with the event. Batman won.
- Vortex Comics released a short-lived series, Legends of NASCAR, starting in 1990, with issues devoted to racers like Bill Elliott, Ken Schrader, Bobby Allison, and others.
- NASCAR actually published its own comic series with ABDO Publishing from 2007 to 2009, NASCAR Heroes. It was nominated for a Harvey Award, participated in Free Comic Book Day, and had a cover inspired by Speed Racer.
- In 2014 DC Comics teamed up with Hendrick Motorsports to pair DC characters Batman, Superman, Flash, and Green Lantern for adventures with NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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