5 replies to this topic

[Pikachu Racing]

I been reading Ed Hinton Daytona book and mention how Bill France Sr. get FIA to sanction NASCAR. I'm most likely not to finish the book before returning it to the library so when did the alliance ended and why?

[dretceterini]

The American guy that had the REAL relationship with the FIA was Hulman...France kind of got it from him...

Stu

[ensign14]

Has it actually ended? Just that NASCAR and European racing are 2 different worlds now and there is no crossover (yet!). There is a thread here somewhere about Euro NASCAR racers in the 1970s, I think.

[Joe Fan]

NASCAR is still tied to FIA through ACCUS. So is NHRA drag racing and funny that the NHRA Funny car and Top Fuel champions are recognized as "World Champions" now when FIA's main drag racing series, the European Drag Racing Championship, recognizes their champions merely as European Champions. I guess FIA couldn't look everyone in the eye with a straight face and promote their drag racing champs as "World Champions" (which they love doing with all their other series) when the US invented the sport. But there will be a day I am sure....

[cabianca]

This goes back to when the AAA pulled out of racing at the end of 1955. Until then, we had been like all the industrial world and our national auto club belonged to the FIA. The AAA gave out the FIA sanctions in the US and they granted international licenses. After the AAA pulled out, America was, for a time, without FIA affiliation. By then, American racing was hopelessly split into different factions governing drag racing, open wheelers, sports cars and stock cars. In some cases, two organizations were sanctioning the same kind of racing (USAC and NASCAR in stock cars for example). The Automobile Competition Committee of the U.S. (ACCUS) was formed and all the various top-level sanctioning bodies joined (USAC, SCCA, NHRA and NASCAR). Then FIA dates and Int'l licenses were handled through ACCUS. This system remains in place but in a smaller, more international world, Tony George and the France family also have direct lines into the FIA.

[Pikachu Racing]

Wow! I didn't know NASCAR still has ties with FIA. Through the years I been watching NASCAR it was ignored to the public. I thought it ended somewhere down the 60s or 70s but I'm not far into the book as of yet. It has been good read for me so far.