NASCAR s Adolescent Years

NASCAR's Adolescent Years

The American gas crisis in 1974 not only led to increases in gasoline prices and the need for rationing, but also led many people to believe racing wasted precious gas. So NASCAR cut back the number of miles in most races by 10 percent; therefore the Daytona 500 was only 450 miles that year. Through the 1970s, and despite the gas crisis, racing continued to grow.

It did so because the France family knew the inherent value of television rested in its ability to broaden exposure for the sport beyond the South. The first race that piqued corporate interest in the sport was the 1976 Daytona 500, the final laps of which were broadcast on ABC. This was followed in 1979 when CBS became the first network to televise an entire NASCAR race an event that attracted an estimated 15 million viewers. However, it wasn't so much the race itself that endeared the sport to so many fans.

On the back straightaway of the last lap, Cale Yarborough attempted to pass Donnie Allison on the inside, and Allison pulled down to block him. The two cars collided and careened into the third turn wall, then spun into the infield grass and stopped. Richard Petty, A. J. Foyt, and Darrell Waltrip drove past and Petty won the race by a car length. By the time Petty crossed the finish line, Yarborough and Allison had already climbed out of their cars and started fighting. Then Bobby Allison pulled up and entered the fistfight to defend his brother all of which happened on live national television as several safety crew members attempted to break it up.

Many racing historians credit that race and its exciting finish for helping bring NASCAR to where it is today. Arguably one of the most bizarre incidents ever witnessed in sports, this nonetheless proved to be a defining moment for NASCAR.



On the Ball. What You Can Learn About Business from America's Sports Leaders
On the Ball: What You Can Learn About Business From Americas Sports Leaders
ISBN: 013100963X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 93

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