NASCAR was formed in 1948, during the post-war era. Because new cars were scarce at the time, the founders were hesitant to use and abuse new race cars in front of fans who were struggling to get around in their old, well-worn cars. Consequently the NASCAR president, Bill France Sr., opted for the less insulting idea of using only 'stock' cars. This meant competing cars had to be those that could be bought from a dealer and driven by typical street drivers, and they could have no major modifications.

The first "high performance" parts to be used in the stock cars were specialized tires. In 1952, the Pure Oil Company developed a tire specifically for stock car racing. Because they were used to 'promote safety,' the change was allowed. It wasn't long before more modifications crept in as well. Since the cars had to use production-line parts, manufacturers began offering high performance, or 'severe usage,' products to their regular customers in order to make them usable and allowable in NASCAR races.

The cars are not all that has changed throughout the history of NASCAR racing. The first NASCAR races were held at the Daytona Beach/Road course in Daytona, Florida. In 1949, the first season of the Strictly Stock Series, as it was called at the time, consisted of eight races around the country. Red Byron was the first winner of the series, placing first in two of the eight games. Legends such as Lee Petty and Herb Thomas emerged in the stock car races throughout the 1950s. These first few seasons established the level of competition that was to follow. The 1960s were dominated by David Pearson and Richard Petty, who began his championship career in 1964..