Racing

American stock car racing has matured from its dubious Prohibition start to the second fastest growing professional sport in the U.S. During Prohibition, the production of moonshine in the South demanded fast, jazzed-up autos to escape the law. After Prohibition, the moonshine runners continued their exhilarating races amongst themselves, racing on roads and short, dirt tracks available in the region. In 1934, Bill France moved his family from Washington, D.C. to Florida where he founded NASCAR. France was convinced from his personal racing experience that stock car racing would prove the most popular of all the classes. By the late 30's, stock cars were on the beaches of Daytona. Today, the Daytona 500 runs 500 miles on 31-degree, three-story high-banked turns.