An unassuming tourist in NASCAR’s adventurous landscape would tend to think at first glance that Charlotte is the center of all stock car racing action in the country. But Daytona is where the promotion was born and is still headquartered.
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So, what makes Charlotte so racing-centric and a place where all stock cars convene to make for the biggest spectacles in motorsports? In short, moonshine.
Back during the prohibition era, North Carolina had the resources, such as water, grain, and a railway line, to make and distribute moonshine. The system that was developed as a result used moonshine runners who were specialists at outrunning cops in their modified passenger cars. Eventually, these runners took their cars to local tracks to race each other for fun.
They made up a large number of the early NASCAR drivers. Even back then during the middle of the 20th century, Charlotte was the state’s largest city.
It made good sense for the promotion to base a large part of its activities in the region from where its drivers came from. Race tracks such as Bowman Gray and North Wilkesboro soon began popping up across the state as the sport grew.
It was in 1960 that one of the most iconic tracks ever was planned in the name of the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 1.5-mile quad-oval’s first race was a 600-miler held in June 1960. The fixture later became the Coca-Cola 600 and serves as a crown jewel event today. This race track ensured that a major part of NASCAR power remained with Charlotte as the decades wore on.
Charlotte’s transition to being the “home” of NASCAR
Short tracks were facing a decline around the time the modern era of the sport began in 1972. But those involved with NASCAR were still flourishing. North Wilkesboro, Charlotte, and Rockingham were all hosting two races each per year. Tracks in neighbouring areas such as Atlanta, Richmond, Nashville, and others had a good number of races too.
All these events accounted for nearly 16-18 races between the 1970s and the 1990s. Charlotte is right in the middle of this entire region and was the perfect location for all teams to set their shop at. This strategic location is what made the city become the “home” of NASCAR.
The Charlotte Motor Speedway continued gaining prominence thanks to the growth of the area, multiple races, and the influence of its founder Burton Smith, one of the men who built NASCAR into what it is today.
