NASCAR

NASCAR in Europe? – Yes, and They Even Have Cheerleaders

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kent Whitaker, often called 'the Deck Chef,' is a sportswriter, culinary writer, and cookbook author with fourteen titles. He covers NASCAR in Europe, racing in general, Football, barbecue, grilling, and tailgating. You can visit him on "www.thedeckchef.com " or on Facebook at "Kent Whitaker" In case you’re not a die-hard Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series fan you may not know that NASCAR races in Europe! Yep, you read that correctly. NASCAR races across the pond and they’ve been doing so since 2012 with the formation of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. NASCAR in Europe - History The ball started rolling several years before 2012 with the formation of the Racecar Euro-Series which raced under the banner of FJ Group – a race team out of France. Essentially, a race team wanted to try their hand at racing American style stock cars and invited their friends to come along for the ride. Participation grew as new teams started showing up for events. Then, the number of teams grew and competition increased, the fans followed. The series grew to the point that the young American style racing series gained the approved of FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile). FIA is a legendary name in motorsports sanctioning and this partnership set the stage for NASCAR to join in on the fun. Joining other NASCAR Countries and Cheerleaders The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series joined Canada and Mexico as countries outside of the United States that had officially NASCAR sanction series in 2012 and things started with a bang… actually with a cheer. One of the trademark looks of the Euro Series is that they love to combine other American themes into their race weekends. You’ll see cheerleaders, NFL style football demonstrations, barbecue, beer tents, driver events, and live concerts. It’s easy to imagine that you’re walking around your local County Fair! Or, you may be reminded of the infield of Daytona or the Parking lots at Bristol Motor Speedway because of all of the NASCAR clothing and flags. As for the cheerleaders, think of them as the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series having their own version of Victory Lane ladies or NASCAR Monster Energy Girls. The connections to the Euro Series and NASCAR in North America even goes further. Now, NASCAR drivers are showing up in Europe to climb behind the wheel of a NASCAR Euro Series car. NASCAR Champion and Other Drivers Crossing the Pond When Team FJ and FIA finalized an agreement with NASCAR because [...]

By |2024-01-10T23:22:53+00:00June 9th, 2019|NASCAR, Europe|0 Comments

NASCAR, Racing and Fairs!

by Kent Whitaker I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and often visited the Tennessee State Fairgrounds for events including NASCAR racing. Stock car racing has had a long history with fair grounds and it continues to this day. The Fairgrounds in the Music City still host several races at the track yearly with visits from sanctioning bodies such as the ARCA Racing Series. NASCAR is a sport that ties in perfectly with home town fans and it has the history to go along with the thrill of racing! Back in the day, during Prohibition, booze runners used their modified cars to outrun authorities from the local police to Federal Tax officers. Naturally, when you have a select group of people that can drive fast and have a competitive nature – some sort of contest is going to take place. Since they were driving fast cars to out run the authorities the chance to claim bragging rights came from winning informal races. Those races began to become popular and drivers outside of the moonshine industry started joining in. Soon, regional tracks were hosting stock car races across the south. A driver could drive his car from the house, paint a number on the side, race and hopefully collect a few dollars in winning without damaging his car. Modern NASCAR Racing Back in the 1940’s Bill France, the founder of NASCAR, saw the need for a more organized form of sport of stock car racing. He proposed a legitimate sanctioning body that would set specific rules. At the time, it was a common practice for a promoter to skip out with the money made from selling tickets without paying the drivers. And, there were little or no rules governing cars or track safety. France, also known as Big Bill, organized a meeting of drivers, car owners, mechanics and other people involved in racing at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach, Fla., on December 14, 1947. This marks the official date that the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, now known simply as NASCAR, was born. On February 15, 1948, about two months after the meeting, became the winner of the first sanctioned NASCAR race which took place on the beach in Daytona. France went on to incorporate NASCAR and the France family has held its leadership ever since. The sanctioning body is recognized as the worlds leader in stock car racing as well as other forms of racing including the International Motor Sports Association known as IMSA. In [...]

By |2024-01-11T01:31:38+00:00September 30th, 2018|NASCAR, Nashville, Tennessee|0 Comments
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