2010-06-29
A new book by University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College faculty member Scott Beekman tells the history of NASCAR and stock car racing in America, and includes some surprising facts.
The book, “NASCAR Nation: A History of Stock Car Racing in the United States,” is being sold all across the country by Praeger Publishing. Beekman, who lives in Athens, serves as an assistant professor of history and chair of the School of Social Sciences at Rio Grande. His other books have been published previously, and he was asked to write this book after he completed a book on professional wrestling in America.
Beekman did extensive research on stock car racing for his book, and the book details how this type of racing began in America. Many believe that was started by 20th century bootleggers who had been delivering illegal alcohol, but Beekman found in his research that this is just a myth.
“It’s not true at all,” he said. Certainly many bootleggers served as drivers, but they did not start the sport. Stock car racing actually began back in the 1890s, and Beekman’s book looks at the early days of the sport.
“These would have been truly ‘stock cars.’” These guys would have races with these cars that they wanted to sell,” Beekman said. The term “stock cars” means that they are exactly the same type of cars that a consumer could buy from a manufacturer.
Technically, Henry Ford was a stock car driver, because he raced one of his early Fords against cars from other manufacturers.
When NASCAR was established, Beekman explained, the cars could not change anything from the types of cars that were in the showrooms.
“There is nothing stock about a stock car today; they are completely fabricated,” he added. His book covers some of the characters of the early days of racing, and discusses how dangerous it was at the time.
“I didn’t really realize how unsafe early racing was,” Beekman said. Many drivers died in the early 1920s and 1930s, although stock car racing was a little safer than other types of racing.
Stock car racing was also very exciting at the time, as the cars were often bumping and banging into each other on the tracks, Beekman said.
In the 1940s, promoter Bill France organized NASCAR and set up races and the points system for the drivers, Beekman said. The book covers the early days of NASCAR and the history up to the present day.
“My goal was to give an overview,” Beekman said, adding that there have obviously been many different changes to stock car racing over the years.
The book also discusses the fact that NASCAR is still a family business, owned by the France family.
Another item included in the book is how early stock car racing was held around the country, and how it built up a base of support in the southern United States where there was not as much competition from other major sports.
The book provides a very interesting look at a sport that is loved by millions of Americans, and it is being sold online and in bookstores around the country.
Beekman is one of several Rio Grande faculty members who have had books published and sold across the country, and he is proud to be part of the Rio Grande family. He has taught history at Rio Grande for four years, and loves teaching on the small campus.
“I like the fact that I have small classes and that I get to know my students,” Beekman said. He has many of the students in multiple classes where he can work closely with them and help them in their academic programs.
For more information on his new book or on the history program at Rio Grande, call Beekman at 1-800-282-7201.
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