The National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) was founded by racing promoter Bill France in 1947 to showcase the talents of southern whiskey runners in their modified street cars, souped up so they could outrun country sheriffs. By 1960 NASCAR had developed a well-organized professional racing circuit confined, largely, to the South. NASCAR was southern: most of its driving stars and its core of fan support came from the South. The sport had national appeal, though, as the American automobile manufacturers recognized. Early in the decade they sponsored the NASCAR racing season by providing high-performance versions of current showroom models. It was an effective sales tool in a time when speed sold cars, and by the time manufacturers abandoned racing because it was too expensive and because of social pressures to refrain from endorsement of a dangerous sport, NASCAR was self-sufficient.
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