NASCAR 75
In February 1948, the fledgling National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, or NASCAR, held its first race at Daytona Beach. We look back on the AP’s coverage of 75 years of fast-paced racing drama.
Drivers, start your engines…
Cars pile up at the north turn in the first lap of NASCAR Sportsman's stock car race at Daytona Beach, Fla., February, 1954. (AP Photo)
Marshall Teague, right, winner of the 200-mile stock car race is congratulated by second place driver Herb Thomas, in Daytona Beach, Fla., Feb. 10, 1952. Both men drove 1952 Hudsons owned by Teague. (AP Photo)
Charles “Red” Farmer (61), is airborne after hitting a hole on the four-mile road course during the 100-mile Modified and Sportsman stock car auto race in Daytona Beach, Fla, February 1953. (AP Photo/James P. Kerlin)
Curtis Turner rounds the south turn in his Ford as he makes the transition from the paved road onto the beach for the last lap, to win the Convertible Stock Car Race, at Daytona Beach, Fla., February, 1956. (AP Photo)
LeeRoy Yarbrough takes the checkered flag at the Daytona 500 stock car race at Daytona International Speedway, Feb. 23, 1969. Yarbrough came from behind in his 1969 Ford on the last lap to win, and lapped Charlie Glotzbach (6) in a 1969 Charger to finish one car length ahead. (AP Photo/Brian Horton)
Ned Jarrett jumps from his race car after being involved in a fiery three car accident during the World 600 stock car race, at the Charlotte, (N.C) Motor Speedway, on May 24, 1964. Junior Johnson and Edward “Fireball” Roberts were also in the collision. (AP Photo)
Cale Yarborough is encircled by a collar of flowers after he won the Firecracker 400 stock car race at Daytona Beach on July 4, 1968. Yarborough drove a 1968 Mercury. (AP Photo/MF)
Cale Yarborough, left, and Bobby Isaacs, sit on a stack of racing tires Feb.15, 1969 and check the lap times of cars practicing for the Daytona 500 NASCAR Grand National stock car race scheduled for Feb. 23. (AP Photo)
Richard Petty smokes after he blew the engine of his 1968 Plymouth on the 136th lap of the Firecracker 400 at the Daytona Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., July 4, 1968. Petty blew the engine on the first turn and managed to get the car back to the garage and out of the race. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly)
Richard Petty wipes his face after taking first place in the World Texas 500 NASCAR race in Bryan, Tex., Dec. 12, 1971. Petty drove his Plymouth for an average of 144 mph. (AP Photo)
Mario Andretti wins Daytona stock-car race on Feb. 26, 1967. (AP Archive)
Wendell Scott, stock car racing's only African-American driver, is shown May 24, 1972, with the maroon Chevrolet Monte Carlo he will drive in the World 600 at the Charlotte, N.C., Motor Speedway. (AP Photo)
41 cars roll around the wet Daytona International Speedway track under a caution flag as the Daytona 500 auto race gets under way in Daytona Beach, Fla, Feb. 18, 1979. (AP Photo)
Janet Guthrie leans out of the window of the stock car racer between practice runs, in Charlotte, N.C., May 29, 1976. She will drive the car in the upcoming World 600. (AP Photo/Harold Valentine)
Bobby Allison, left, grabs Cale Yarborough after a collision between Yarborough and Allison's brother Donnie on the last lap of the Daytona 500 auto race in Daytona Beach, Fla, Feb. 18, 1979. (AP Photo/Ric Feld)
Richard Petty in car 43, right, bumps driver Cale Yarborough near the end of the Firecracker 400 stock car race race, July 4, 1984 at the Daytona International Speedway. Petty went on to win the event for his 200th NASCAR win. Yarborough came in second. (AP Photo/Bob Self)
Firecracker 400 winner Richard Petty showers the crowd with champagne in Victory Lane after he won the race, July 4, 1984, at the Daytona International Speedway. This was the 200th NASCAR win for Petty. (AP Photo/Jann Zlotkin)
Dale Earnhardt crawls from beneath his overturned racing car after he was involved in a crash flipping his car over several times, on the first turn of Pocono 500 NASCAR Race, at Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., July 25, 1982. Earnhardt injured his leg. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy)
Bill France Sr. looks out at his track from the top of the grandstand on Feb. 11, 1983 as he reflects back over the last 25 years at Daytona International Speedway. France, who has become a legend in the world of motor sports, formed NASCAR and built the Daytona International Speedway. (AP Photo/Pete Wright)
The car of Greg Sacks sails over Lake Speed's wrecked car at Pocono International Raceway during the A.C. Spark Plug 500 NASCAR race in Long Pond, Pa., July 23, 1989. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy)
NASCAR Grand National pit crews line up along pit row for the National Anthem during pre-race activities for the Hardee's 250 stock car race at the Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Va., March 2, 1996. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon jumps completely in the air from the roof of his DuPont Chevrolet after winning the Winston Cup Championship at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., Nov. 16, 1997. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Drivers in the first 125-mile Daytona 500 qualifying race take the green flag to start the race, Feb. 11, 1999, at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Fire surrounds driver Jimmie Johnson's car during a pit stop at the Lowes Motor Speedway, in Concord, N.C., Oct. 7, 2000, during the All Pro Bumper-to-Bumper 300. Gas man Bryan Smith received minor burns when fire broke out while he was refueling the car. (AP Photo/Rusty Burroughs)
Driver Jack Sprague's (60) car throws sparks after making contact with the wall in turn 4 during the Quaker Steak and Lube 200 NASCAR Truck Series auto race in Concord, N.C., May 18, 2007. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Danica Patrick is seen on the track during a practice session at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Oct. 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
NASCAR driver Kyle Busch celebrates after winning the Aaron's 499 auto race at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala., April 27, 2008. (AP Photo/Ron Sanders)
Multiple cars, including Austin Dillon (3), Daniel Suarez (41), David Ragan (38), Paul Menard (21), Ryan Newman (6), Aric Almirola (10), Matt DiBenedetto (95) and Ryan Blaney (12) crash during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race on Feb. 17, 2019, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
The sun sets behind Richmond International Raceway during the NASCAR Cup Series auto race in Richmond, Va., Sept. 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Photo editing by Katherine O’Mara.