NASCAR history

JUNE 19, 1949 – The first NASCAR “Strictly Stock” (current Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series) race is held at Charlotte (N.C.) Fairgrounds Speedway.

The first NASCAR competition held outside of the United States was in Canada, where on July 1, 1952, Buddy Shuman won a 200-lap race on a half-mile (800 m) dirt track in Stamford Park, Ontario, near Niagara Falls.

In the spring of 1954, NASCAR became a stock car sanctioning body on the Pacific Coast under Barky.

FEBRUARY 22, 1959 – The high-banked 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway hosts the first Daytona 500.

DECEMBER 1, 1963 – Wendell Scott becomes the first African-American to win a race in NASCAR’s premier series, beating Buck Baker at Jacksonville (Fla.) Speedway.

1970 – Lesa France Kennedy, daughter of Bill France Jr., joins the staff at International Speedway Corporation (ISC). Instrumental in the growth of ISC and the advancement of motorsports, she has moved up to serve as vice chairperson of NASCAR and vice chairperson of the Board of Directors for ISC.

JANUARY 10, 1972 – The founder of NASCAR, Bill France Sr., hands over the reins of leadership to his son Bill France Jr., who becomes the second president in NASCAR’s history.

FEBRUARY 20, 1977 – Janet Guthrie becomes the first woman to compete in the Daytona 500.

FEBRUARY 18, 1979 – CBS presents the first live flag-to-flag coverage of a 500-mile NASCAR event with the Daytona 500, a show not soon to be forgotten as Richard Petty avoids an incident between Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison on the last lap to win the race.

JULY 4, 1984 – Richard Petty earns his 200th win in the Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway, setting a mark that has yet to be challenged.

NOVEMBER 15, 1992 – One of the most significant races in NASCAR history, the 1992 season finale at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

AUGUST 6, 1994 – The series schedule expands to include the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

JANUARY 2003 – NASCAR unveils the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C.

2004 – NASCAR begins its first season under the banner of Nextel, with the series becoming known as the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup (now the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup) Series.

MAY 23, 2010 – The inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame class is inducted in Charlotte, N.C.: Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson.

FEBRUARY 17, 2013 – Danica Patrick makes history by winning the Busch Pole Award for the 2013 Daytona 500, becoming the first female to win a pole in NASCAR premier series history.

JANUARY 30, 2014 – NASCAR Chairman Brian France announces championship format change, virtually guaranteeing a berth in the NASCAR playoffs for each race winner.

He was posthumously inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, January 30, 2015.

NOVEMBER 20, 2016 – Jimmie Johnson makes history with his record-tying seventh NASCAR premier series title; joining NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt as the series leaders with seven championships.

2017 – NASCAR introduces a new three-stage format of racing across all three national series racing.