The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR), celebrating 60 years in 2008, is the sanctioning body for one of North America’s premier sports. NASCAR is the #1 spectator sport – holding 17 of the top 20 highest attended sporting events in the U.S., the #2 rated regular season sport on network TV with broadcasts in 150 countries, and in more than 30 languages. NASCAR fans are the most brand loyal in all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport.

NASCAR consists of three major national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) four regional series and one local grassroots series, as well as two international series. NASCAR sanctions 1,200 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico.

Based in Daytona Beach (Fla.), NASCAR has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Charlotte (N.C.), Concord (N.C.), Conover (N.C.), Bentonville (Ark.), Mexico City and Toronto.

On December 14, 1947, speaking at NASCAR’s organizational meeting at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida, Bill France Sr. expressed his vision for stock car racing’s future. A half-century later, France’s words seem prophetic:

Stock car racing has got distinct possibilities for Sunday shows and we do not know how big it can be if it’s handled properly…It can go the same way as big car racing (Indianapolis). I believe stock car racing can become a nationally recognized sport by having a National Point standing…Stock car racing as we’ve been running it is not, in my opinion, the answer…We must try to get track owners and promoters interested in building stock car racing up. We are all interested in one thing-that is, improving the present conditions. The answer lies in our group right here today to do it.

-Bill France Sr.