The ISCARS Dash Touring Series (previously known as the NASCAR Baby Grand National, Goody's Dash Series and IPOWER Dash Series among others) was a
stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
series created by
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
in
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
, initially running solely at
North Wilkesboro Speedway
North Wilkesboro Speedway is a short oval racetrack located on U.S. Route 421, about east of the town of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, or 80 miles north of Charlotte. It measures and features a unique uphill backstretch and downhill fr ...
, that involved V6 powered stock cars raced over relatively short distances. In
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
the series branched out to other tracks besides North Wilkesboro Speedway.
After the end of the 2003 season, NASCAR transferred the Goody's Dash series to IPOWER (International Participants Of Winning Edge Racing). In 2004, they ran the IPOWER Dash Series. In January
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, officials announced the cancellation of the 2005 Dash season due to problems with sponsorship. The International Sport Compact Auto Racing Series (ISCARS) purchased the series allowing the series to continue through 2005 and was operating until 2011.
History
NASCAR sanctioning
The unofficial start of the series was in 1973 in
North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
North Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States, approximately 80 miles north of Charlotte. The population was 4,131 at the 2020 US Census. North Wilkesboro is the birthplace and original home of Lowe's Home Improveme ...
. A group of drivers began racing on a road course owned by former NASCAR Cup owner
Bill Ellis. Ellis decided not to continue after a few races. The drivers decided to format an association called the Baby Grand National Racing Association, Inc. (BGNRA), and appointed Charlie Triplett as president. Triplett says the name stemmed from the cars' resemblance to the Grand National (predecessor to the modern
NASCAR Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...
) cars of the era, as paint schemes and numbers often matched those from Grand National cars.
["Humble Beginnings for a Dying Series: NASCAR Touring Series"]
; Jesse Miles, Jr.; Stock Car Racing magazine
''Stock Car Racing'' (SCR) was founded in the U.S. in May 1966Larry Cothren, Automotive.com, Source Interlink Media, 200."Racing Magazines agazine-Agent.com,
Magazine-Agent.com, 2009, webpagmag-agent"Specialty Equipment Market Association - SEMA. ...
; 2002; Retrieved February 15, 2007 The series was originally a touring series of four-cylinder compact sedan cars. The slogan for the series was "The Poor Man's Way to Race."
The founder turned to NASCAR to begin sanctioning the series in 1975. The series flourished with the relatively inexpensive cars and motors. It was not uncommon for forty drivers to enter an event.
Five-time champion
Dean Combs
Dean Combs (born February 23, 1952) is a former NASCAR driver. In his limited career, Combs competed in twenty-four Nextel Cup Series, Winston Cup Series events. Combs is best known for dominance on NASCAR's lower level International Sport Compact ...
used a
Datsun 200SX in the 1980 season and became the first NASCAR driver to 'regularly' compete in a foreign-made car. Contrary to popular belief, foreign cars had competed in NASCAR competition in the early days of the sanctioning body; indeed, a
Jaguar
The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...
won a NASCAR-sanctioned race in the Grand National division at a
road course
Road racing is a form of motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads. Originally, road races were held almost entirely on publ ...
in
Linden, New Jersey
Linden is a city in southeastern Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area, located about southwest of Manhattan and bordering Staten Island, a borough of New York City, across the Arthur Kill ...
in 1954, according to commentator
Mike Joy
Michael Joy (born November 25, 1949) is an American TV sports announcer and who currently serves as the lap-by-lap voice of Fox Sports' coverage of NASCAR. His color analyst is Clint Bowyer. Counting 2022, Joy has been part of the live broadcast ...
, and the last foreign-made car to compete in a NASCAR-sanctioned event was an
MG at one Grand National race in 1963 (before
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
, who had used the Dash Series to prepare their stock car endeavors as demonstrated by
Robert Huffman
Robert Huffman (born March 12, 1968) is an American former stock car racing driver from Claremont, North Carolina. He drove in eleven NASCAR Busch Series between 1991 and 1993. He next raced two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races in 1997. He re ...
's championship victory in 2003, entered the
Truck Series
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck based stock cars. The series is one of th ...
in 2004 and later Cup Series at the beginning of the 2007 season).
During the series' existence, the series became a place for young drivers to gain valuable experience competing against seasoned veterans like Danny Bagwell, Geoff Bodine, Johnny Chapman, Jake, and Justin Hobgood, all of which have experience at the top levels of NASCAR. 1986 Daytona 500 Champion
Geoffrey Bodine
Geoffrey Edwin Bodine (born April 18, 1949) is a retired American motorsport driver and bobsled builder. He is the oldest of the three Bodine brothers (with Brett Bodine and Todd Bodine), and sister Denise. Bodine lives in West Melbourne, Florida ...
joined the circuit in 2008 to compete in the final four events; ISCARS later used the run to highlight Bodine's involvement as part of an extensive driver development program. Bagwell is well known for a destructive accident in 1999 at Daytona when the vehicle hit the wall and tumbled repeatedly. It ended up upside down, the engine was gone, all the wheels were out, the windshield, and the sheet metal disintegrated, leaving only a pile of bent safety bars. Also in this series was the only car ever to careen into Lake Lloyd, Dave Stacey in 1994. The series was not free from fatal accidents during NASCAR's sanctioning: Joe Young and
Joe Booher
Donald Joe Booher (February 22, 1941 – February 12, 1993) was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series and Goody's Dash driver. He spent his time running a farming business when he was not racing. He was killed while competing in the 1993 Goody's Dash Cup s ...
died in Daytona Dash Series races in 1987 and 1993, respectively.
NASCAR significantly changed the dynamics of the series in the early 1980s. NASCAR mandated using the
Iron Duke motor (manufactured by
Pontiac Pontiac may refer to:
*Pontiac (automobile), a car brand
*Pontiac (Ottawa leader) ( – 1769), a Native American war chief
Places and jurisdictions Canada
*Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality
** Apostolic Vicariate of Pontiac, now the Roman Catholic D ...
), changing the cost for a motor from approximately $800 to $22,000. Pontiac provided motors to five or six teams. The much greater expense led to only ten to twelve teams competing in events. NASCAR changed from a four-cylinder to a V6 motor in 1998, but still allowed teams to use either four or six cylinder engines from that point on. Most teams elected to use the V6 engines. NASCAR's sanctioning for the series ended in 2003, when they transferred the sanctioning to IPOWER (International Participants Of Winning Edge Racing).
Death of Roy Weaver and demise
On February 8, 2004, the first IPOWER Dash race ended in tragedy when Roy Weaver, a safety worker at
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR as well as its season opening event. In addition to NA ...
, was killed when he was struck by a car driven by Ray Paprota. Weaver was attempting to pick up debris from a racing accident at the time. Although inconsequential to the incident, it is noteworthy that Ray Paprota is a
paraplegic
Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek ()
"half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neural ...
and was driving with hand controls. For the rest of
Speedweeks
Daytona Speedweeks presented by AdventHealth is a series of racing events that take place during January and February at Daytona International Speedway. Traditionally leading up to the Daytona 500, in 2021 it concluded with the Daytona road cour ...
, flags at Daytona flew at
half-staff
Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a salut ...
in Weaver's memory.
In 2005, Weaver's widow and three children competed on ''
The Amazing Race: Family Edition'', a
reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
competition show on
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
. Two of the challenges were directly related to racing. The family finished in third place, and were largely negatively viewed in the season.
After Weaver's fatal accident, the Dash Series would not appear on TV and failed to find sponsorship. After the 2005 season was initially canceled, former Dash Series Chaplain and NASCAR Media Coordinator, Randy Claypoole, revived the series under the name International Sport Compact Auto Racing Series (ISCARS). The series held over 100 events, from 2005, until its final race at Hickory Motor Speedway in October 2011. In the series' final years, the cars featured a rear wing, but different from those used on the fifth-generation
Car of Tomorrow
The Car of Tomorrow (abbreviated as CoT) was the common name used for the chassis of the NASCAR Cup Series (2007 –2012) and Xfinity Series (since 2011 full-time) race cars. The car was part of a five-year project to create a safer vehicle ...
used in the Cup Series between 2007 and mid-2010.
List of series names
*1973 – 1974: The Baby Grand National Racing Association
*1975 – 1979: The Baby Grand Series
*1980 – 1982: NASCAR International Sedan Series
*1983 – 1984: Darlington Dash Series
*1985 – 1989: Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series
*1990 – 1991: NASCAR Dash Series
*1992 – 2003: NASCAR Goody's Dash Series
*2004: IPOWER Dash Series
*2005 – 2007: ISCARS DASH Touring
*2008 – 2011: ISCARS DASH Touring, Sanctioned by ASA
List of champions
*2011 Danny Bagwell, Cordova, AL
*2010 Danny Bagwell, Cordova, AL
*2009 Jason Shultz, Manassas, VA
*2008 Danny Bagwell, Cordova, AL
*2007 Danny Bagwell, Cordova, AL
*2006
Eric Wilson, Taylorsville, NC
*2005
Wade Day
*2004
Johnny Chapman
Johnny Chapman (born December 14, 1967) is an American stock car racing, stock car racing driver.
Racing career
Chapman has won 40 races in NASCAR's Late Model Stock Division as well as being a two-time Goody's Dash Series Champion on his way up ...
*2003
Robert Huffman
Robert Huffman (born March 12, 1968) is an American former stock car racing driver from Claremont, North Carolina. He drove in eleven NASCAR Busch Series between 1991 and 1993. He next raced two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races in 1997. He re ...
*2002
Jake Hobgood"Goody's Dash Series Champions"
; 2002; Stock Car Racing magazine
''Stock Car Racing'' (SCR) was founded in the U.S. in May 1966Larry Cothren, Automotive.com, Source Interlink Media, 200."Racing Magazines agazine-Agent.com,
Magazine-Agent.com, 2009, webpagmag-agent"Specialty Equipment Market Association - SEMA. ...
; Retrieved February 15, 2007
*2001 Cam Strader
*2000 Robert Huffman
Robert Huffman (born March 12, 1968) is an American former stock car racing driver from Claremont, North Carolina. He drove in eleven NASCAR Busch Series between 1991 and 1993. He next raced two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races in 1997. He re ...
*1999 Robert Huffman
*1998 Robert Huffman
*1997 Mike Swaim Jr.
Mike Swaim Jr. (born June 16, 1976) is a former NASCAR driver. He made a few starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Busch Grand National Series, but found most of his success in the NASCAR Goody's Dash Series, winning 12 races in ...
*1996 Lyndon Amick
Lyndon Amick (born June 30, 1977) is a former NASCAR driver. He spent most of his NASCAR career in the NASCAR Busch Series driving for his family-owned team.
Racing career
Amick was the 1996 NASCAR Goody's Dash series champion. Amick made his NA ...
*1995 David Hutto
*1994 Will Hobgood
*1993 Rodney Orr
Rodney Bryan Orr (November 6, 1962 – February 14, 1994) was an American stock car racing driver. The 1993 NASCAR Goody's Dash Series champion, he was killed in an accident during practice for the 1994 Daytona 500.
Career
Orr was born in Rob ...
*1992 Mickey York
*1991 Johnny Chapman
Johnny Chapman (born December 14, 1967) is an American stock car racing, stock car racing driver.
Racing career
Chapman has won 40 races in NASCAR's Late Model Stock Division as well as being a two-time Goody's Dash Series Champion on his way up ...
*1990 Robert Huffman
*1989 Gary Wade Finley
Gary Wade Finley Jr. (1960–2022) was a multiple time champion at Huntsville (AL) Speedway. Finley won the 1989 NASCAR Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series championship. Finley won the Daytona 200 event that year for the series.
Finley competed in ...
*1988 Larry Caudill
*1987 Larry Caudill
*1986 Hut Stricklin
Waymond Lane "Hut" Stricklin Jr. (born June 24, 1961) is an American former professional stock car racing driver.
Racing career
Stricklin grew up in Calera, Alabama. He married Pam Allison, the daughter of NASCAR legend Donnie Allison after they ...
*1985 Mike Swaim
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and docume ...
*1984 Mike Swaim
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and docume ...
*1983 Michael Waltrip
Michael Curtis Waltrip (born April 30, 1963) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, racing commentator, and published author. He competes full time in the Camping World Superstar Racing Experience. He is the younger brother o ...
*1982 Larry Hoopaugh
*1981 Dean Combs
Dean Combs (born February 23, 1952) is a former NASCAR driver. In his limited career, Combs competed in twenty-four Nextel Cup Series, Winston Cup Series events. Combs is best known for dominance on NASCAR's lower level International Sport Compact ...
*1980 Dean Combs
*1979 Larry Hoopaugh
*1978 Larry Hoopaugh
*1977 Dean Combs
*1976 Dean Combs
*1975 Dean Combs
Other former regular drivers
*Andy Belmont
Andy Belmont (born November 20, 1957) is a retired stock car driver and team owner. Belmont began racing at an early age before moving south. In 1987, he was named the NASCAR Dash Series Rookie of the Year, then he won the championship the next y ...
, a three-time winner
*Rob Moroso
Robert James Moroso (September 26, 1968 September 30, 1990) was a NASCAR racing driver who was champion of the NASCAR Busch Series (now Xfinity Series) in 1989, and was posthumously awarded the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup (now NASCAR Cup Series) Rook ...
, a six-time winner
*Phil Parsons
Phillip Parsons (born June 21, 1957) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, team owner, and current analyst for FOX NASCAR. He is the younger brother of the 1973 Winston Cup champion and former NBC/TNT commentator Benny Pars ...
, a five-time winner
*Larry Pearson
Larry Pearson (born November 2, 1953) is an American former stock car racing driver and the son of three-time Winston Cup champion David Pearson. He won the Busch Series championship in 1986 and 1987, but struggled during his brief tenure in Wins ...
, a five-time winner
*Robert Pressley
Robert William Pressley (born April 8, 1959) is an American former NASCAR driver who previously served as the promoter at Kingsport Speedway in Kingsport, Tennessee. Pressley is now a County Commissioner in Buncombe County, North Carolina.
Beginn ...
, a three-time winner
*Michael Waltrip
Michael Curtis Waltrip (born April 30, 1963) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, racing commentator, and published author. He competes full time in the Camping World Superstar Racing Experience. He is the younger brother o ...
, Champion 1983
*Davey Allison
David Carl Allison (February 25, 1961 – July 13, 1993) was an American NASCAR driver. He was best known for driving the No. 28 Texaco-Havoline Ford for Robert Yates Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Born in Hollywood, Florida, he was th ...
*Kerry Earnhardt
Kerry Dale Earnhardt (born December 8, 1969) is a former NASCAR driver and the eldest son of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt. He is the half-brother of former NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. He was employed by Dal ...
*Maxie Bush, Daytona winner
*Morgan Shepherd
Clay Morgan Shepherd (born October 12, 1941) is an American retired professional stock car racing driver and current team owner. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 89 Chevrolet Camaro for Shepherd Racing Ven ...
*Andy Houston
Andrew Houston (born November 7, 1970) is an American stock car racing spotter and former driver. He is a veteran of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, scoring three wins.
Houston is the son of legendary Busch driver Tommy Houston and the younges ...
*Shawna Robinson
Shawna Robinson (born November 30, 1964) is an American retired professional stock car racing driver. She was a competitor in all three of NASCAR's national touring series, as well as the ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series and the Charlotte/Daytona Da ...
*Jeffrey Collier
Jeffrey Clayton Collier (October 5, 1954 – June 28, 2021) was an American race car driver. He drove in the NASCAR Dash Series from 1988 to 1994. On February 13, 1990, Collier sat on pole for the Florida 200 at Daytona International Speedway wi ...
, qualifying lap record holder
*Christian Elder
Christian Stuart Elder (December 6, 1968 – August 12, 2007) was an American racing driver. He raced in the Busch Series for Akins Motorsports for two years. His best finish of the year was 26th at Kentucky.
Elder made his debut in 2001, r ...
, Daytona winner
* James Hylton Jr. Mechanic.
References
External links
Official site
by Stock Car Racing magazine
''Stock Car Racing'' (SCR) was founded in the U.S. in May 1966Larry Cothren, Automotive.com, Source Interlink Media, 200."Racing Magazines agazine-Agent.com,
Magazine-Agent.com, 2009, webpagmag-agent"Specialty Equipment Market Association - SEMA. ...
; Retrieved December 19, 2017
{{ISCARS Dash racetracks
Stock car racing series in the United States