NASCAR Sportsman Division

As the post WWII auto industry began meeting demand for new cars, auto lots were filling up with the pre-war coupes and sedans. These 1939-1941 cars, "modified" with souped up engines, were finding their way to competitions at racing ovals converted from horse racing or newly carved out in fields. In 1948 NASCAR became one of the first organizations to standardize the rules to ensure equal competition.^[1]

The rulebook mandated that all cars had to be American made, and 1937 or newer, with full stock fenders, running boards and bodies if equipped by the factory, but their bumpers and mufflers had to be removed. Also, a car's wheelbase, length and width had to remain stock, as did the hood. Racers could use any radiator they wanted as long as it fit under the stock hood, which had to be secured with safety straps. Any interchangeable wheel or tire was allowed. In most cases, engines were limited to 300 cubic inches. Multiple carburetors were permitted, while overhead valves and superchargers were allowed only when factory optional or stock equipment. Oversized or extra oil and fuel tanks were allowed, but they had to be either concealed inside the car or under the hood. No foreign manufactured cars were permitted.^[2]

 

When car owners expressed concerns over the rising cost of building a winning race car, NASCAR responded in 1950 by adding a division for "lesser modified" cars, which they distinguished as the Sportsman. Specifications for the Sportsman cars mirrored the Modified rules as to bodies and safety. Requirements for the Sportsman engines differed by restricting heads and intake manifolds to stock production, banning magnetos, and requiring a single carburetor and pump gasoline.^[3][4][5]

The norm for many NASCAR-sanctioned tracks was that Modifieds and Sportsmen raced side by side, but top-finishing Sportsmen received bonus money, and separate championship points were tallied for both divisions.^[6]

As NASCAR’s Grand National cars aged out (current model year and two most recent years only) they became eligible to compete in the Sportsman division.^[3][5] As a result, the small block V8 engines introduced by the manufactures in the mid-1950s began dominating the Sportsman class, making the pre-war Ford flathead V8 and Chevrolet inline 6 cylinder obsolete. NASCAR responded by creating an additional "Limited-Sportsman" class in 1959 that provided drivers with the earlier production engines an opportunity to continue competing.^[6][7][8][9] NASCAR disbanded the series in 1963, but many race tracks continued to feature the limited-sportsman class for several more years.^{[6][10][11][12]}

By 1967 the Sportsman specifications had evolved to include small block engines with a 335-cubic-inch limit, which could match speed with the Modifieds on many shorter tracks. Looking to differentiate the Sportsman as a truly separate class, and expecting spectators to relate better to newer model cars, NASCAR dropped the pre-war coupes and sedans for the 1968 season, substituting the Late Model Sportsman Series with 1955 and newer bodies. NASCAR later reorganized the championship points and events into the touring series that became the Xfinity Series.^[5][6]

In 1989, Humpy Wheeler, the president of Charlotte Motor Speedway, announced the creation of a new Sportsman Division, a series in which drivers from short tracks could gain experience on superspeedways using former Cup or Xfinity series cars. The series was disbanded after the 1996 season.^[13]