The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) was founded in 1948 by Ed Otto and William France Sr. for the purpose of promoting the sport of stock car racing. It is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States.

The very first NASCAR race took place on a dirt track at the old Charlotte Speedway in North Carolina on June 19, 1949 in front of a crowd of approximately 23,000 curious spectators. Christian "Jim" Roper took first place (and the $2,000 purse) in a Lincoln Cosmopolitan after reading about the race in a syndicated comic strip. Fonty Flock came in second, future Hall of Famer Red Byron took third, Sam Rice came in fourth, and Tim Flock took fifth. Several other legendary racers competed that first day including Lee Petty, Curtis Turner, and Buck Baker.

There are seven members in a NASCAR pit crew: the front tire changer, the front tire carrier, the rear tire changer, the rear tire carrier, the jack man, the gas man, and the gas catch can man.

A yellow strip across the rear of a NASCAR racecar signifies a rookie driver.

The closest finish in NASCAR history took place at the Darlington Raceway on March 16, 2003, when Ricky Craven beat Kurt Busch by a mere .002 seconds. The two drivers actually finished the last stretch of the race with their cars touching!

Jimmie Johnson holds the record for most consecutive NASCAR Championships, winning five titles from 2006 to 2010. The record was previously held by Cale Yarborough who won three in a row (1976-78).

Earnhardt earned this nickname because of the black Goodwrench livery of his No.3 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. His aggressive driving style also earned him the nicknames "The Intimidator" and "The Count of Monte Carlo".

J. D. McDuffie competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series from 1963 to 1991, collecting 106 top-10 finishes, but not a single win. He died in a racing accident during the Budweiser at The Glen at Watkins Glen International in 1991.

Because almost 75% of all American motorsports employees work in North Carolina, it has earned the nickname "NASCAR Valley." The vast majority of NASCAR drivers and their teams live in or near the Charlotte-metro area.

In 1979, the Daytona 500 became the first NASCAR race to be nationally televised from start to finish. Richard Petty took first place after the two leaders going into the last lap (Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison) crashed while fighting for the lead.