A typical criticism of NASCAR racing is that it’s just a bunch of people “driving in circles for two hours.” It’s a critique borne out of ignorance as much as it is a dislike of the sport. The reality is, operating a 3,400-pound race car at speeds over 200 mph with other cars mere inches away requires an extraordinary amount of skill. As former NASCAR champion Darrell Waltrip said during a broadcast, as a pack of cars sped down the backstretch, “People don’t even park this close!”

NASCAR has evolved since its founding in 1948. A regional phenomenon in the South for decades, the 1979 Daytona 500 was the first nationally televised race. It also featured a high-profile fight involving drivers Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison after they wrecked going down the backstretch on the last lap. These days, every race in the 36-race season receives a national broadcast and the fan base stretches from coast to coast.