Beginning in 1970, Motor Racing Network began as a new entity with a mission to bring NASCAR events to race fans via radio on a national scale. Over time, the network grew into a tremendous cornerstone of the sport. It became so because of the long list of talented broadcasters that brought their talents to the microphone, such as Ken Squire, Mike Joy, Barney Hall and Joe Moore, as well as many, many more in the decades to come. Episode No. 82 of "A lifetime in Motorsports" focuses on a visit with Moore and as he discusses his years with the network. NASCAR historians Ben White and J ..read more

Keeping up with where cars were on a race track was a daunting task in the early days of NASCAR, especially when there were as many as 75 circling such tracks as Darlington (S.C.) Raceway during the inaugural Southern 500  on Sept. 4, 1950.  There had to be a way to keep up with the running order with so many cars circling the track. In the early days, NASCAR's founder Bill France, Sr. looked into several plans before settling on a simple yet effective way to keep the running order intact for an entire event without controversy.  Still, there were times when hurt feelings did pr ..read more

When the NASCAR Hall of Fame officially opened on May 11, 2010, there was a great deal of enthusiasm among race fans as well as the motorsports media. A prestigious panel of motorsports icons voted on the inaugural class, naming Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Junior Johnson, Bill France Sr. and Bill France Jr. as the first recipients to go into the hall. Over the past 12 years, a remarkable list of individuals have been inducted among drivers, crew chiefs and team owners. Many icons of the sport have yet to be inducted in the years to come. NASCAR historians Ben White and Jerry Bonko ..read more

When O. Bruton Smith opened the gates of Charlotte Motor Speedway in the summer of 1960,  he had no idea what kind of problems he would encounter before returning to reclaim his prize 13 years later. Ultimately, the track served as the foundation and cornerstone of NASCAR's Cup Series and helped make numerous careers in the sport. It continues to serve as the flagship of Speedway Motorsports Inc. formed in 1994 and is predecessor to all of the state-of-the-art race tracks under their umbrellas, NASCAR historians Ben White and Jerry Bonkowski look back at many of the stories involving the ..read more

Rivalries have always been a part of NASCAR history. They began with the first Strictly Stock race on June 19, 1949 at Charlotte, N.C. when Jim Roper drove into victory lane for the very first time, He did so after race winner Glenn Dunaway was declared illegal for having leaf springs at the rear of his Ford. From that day forward, drivers have expressed their unhappiness with other drivers, especially after being sent sideways on the track followed by angry comments on pit road or the garage area. From the 1940s through the 1990s, there were plenty of legendary drivers that kept fans on the e ..read more

Throughout NASCAR's incredible history, there have been plenty of noteworthy stories that have made the sport of stock car racing just that much more enjoyable. They are the trivial yet amazing pieces of information that leaves one with a smile after learning extra tidbits hidden deep in the history books. NASCAR historians Ben White and Jerry Bonkowski look back at a few of these astonishing  facts and share their thoughts on how and why they came about. They also look back at the origins and interesting milestones of the No. 63  in NASCAR's past during podcast No. 63 of "A Lif ..read more

In the mind of Harold Brasington, Darlington Raceway was nothing more than a sketch of what his track would look like for well over a decade before ground was finally broken to get the process started. When the gates finally opened for qualifying 10 days before the green flag waved over the inaugural Southern 500 on Sept. 4, 1950, the 1.25-mile superspeedway was all the rage among the people of Darlington County, S.C. It was the one entity that would put Darlington, S.C. and Florence, S.C. on the regional and national map. Eventually, over a period of 70 years, the track "Too Tough to Tame" he ..read more

To many in the garage area, Neil Bonnett was one pf the most beloved drivers in NASCAR's long history. The native of Hueytown, AL. was lost in a single-car crash during a practice session at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 11, 1994, nine days before the Daytona 500. Bonnett was attempting a comeback for six races scheduled for that season in a Chevrolet fielded by team owner James Finch. NASCAR historians Ben White and Jerry Bonkowski look back at Bonnett's life and career, as well as his career as a broadcaster for several major networks. They also discuss the origins and interesting m ..read more

Throughout NASCAR's 74-year history, there have been plenty of instances where competitors have searched for advantages within the rules that could help them on the race track. Many of those innovations have been tried and been caught by NASCAR officials and deemed cheating outside the spirit of the rules, NASCAR historians Ben White and Jerry Bonkowski dedicate this week's show to looking back at many of those items discovered as well as some of the crew chiefs and mechanics that came up with them. They also discuss the origins and interesting milestones of the No. 60 in NASCAR history d ..read more

Throughout David Pearson's iconic NASCAR career, there was something very special about the Spartanburg, S.C. native. He collected 105 Cup Series victories and three championships and during that time and how he won more races at the famed Darlington (S.C.) Raceway that any other driver. No matter what type of car he drove, he mastered the 1.366-mile track better than any other driver. Wins came with Ford's Holman Moody, Wood Brothers Racing and Team owners Rod Osterlund and Hoss Ellington. His 105th and final win came at Darlington on April 13, 1980. This week marks the 50th anniversary when ..read more