|
|
|
William H.G. France, a mechanic and racer whod moved south from Washington, D.C., eventually took over the job of running the beach races on the second of two courses used for those events. In 1947, he presided over a meeting at Daytonas Streamline Hotel where NASCAR was born. A decade later, France began working on his showplace. Big Bill France was building it, he insisted on 31-degree banking in the corners. Thats as steep as he could make the turns and still keep the machines putting down the asphalt from tipping over. When drivers gathered for the first Daytona 500, it was an eye-popping experience. Drivers were more accustomed to half-mile dirt tracks and saw the 1.366-mile paved track at Darlington. Bob Welborn ran 140.121 mph to win the pole for the first Daytona 500, and Lee Petty won in a photo finish over Johnny Beauchamp. It was at Daytona International Speedway where Junior Johnson discovered that if he tucked his car right behind another one, he could go faster than he could run by himself. And drafting became a part of the sport. Get the latest NASCAR odds at WagerWeb.com |
加入最爱