"NASCAR racing is as American as you can get. You've got traditionand excitement... men and machines in competition together."

-- JuniorJohnson, NASCAR pioneer and legend

NASCAR. It's exciting. It's fast. It'sin-your-face. And it's America's fastest-growing spectator sport!

NASCAR: The Thunder of America captures the greatest memories from the past 50 years of NASCAR racing. The Competition. Triumph. Devotion.Family. Teamwork. Innovation. And that incredible NASCAR spirit.

Big and bold photography brings to life many different stories with quotes from drivers, fans, crew members and officials.Historical archived images reflect some ofNASCAR's greatest moments. And original photographs of NASCAR's top driversprofile these heroes of the sport.

It's the thrill. It's the passion and determination. It's hundreds of thousands of devoted fans cheering wildly as a pack of 700-horsepower engines scream past in a blur of color. It's what dreamsare made of -- all wrapped up in rubber and metal.

It's about speed. It's about winning. It's about legendary heroes -- Byron, Thomas, Flock, Weatherly, Petty, Allison, Yarbrough, Earnhardt and Gordon. It's about fightingwheel-to-wheel, week after week, month after month, on local tracks and superspeedways throughout the country.

This is NASCAR, the thunder of America! 50 years of commitment. 50 years of technology, innovation and 50 years of pure love for speed.

"NASCAR belongs to the fans.... It's hair-raising,spine-tingling, jump-out-of-your-seat competition that makes everyone involved look forward to Sunday afternoons."

-- NASCAR fan Dave Doggett, Stillwater, Oklahoma

Since its founding in 1947, the France familyhas built NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) from a small, family-run racing organization into a $2-billion-a-year industry -- the leader in motorsports entertainment. Today, over 5.5 million people a year attend NASCAR Winston Cup Series races and nearly 150 million watch the action on television.

Together, the NASCAR family celebrates good sportsmanship, cheers courage and rewards perseverance. It is a fast-paced, emotion-packed drama played out by real people with extraordinary dreams -- dreams that encourage, support and foster the best that people can be, whether it's on the track, in the stands or at home watching the television. Firmly rooted in family values, NASCAR has adistinct tradition and plays an exemplary role in every neighborhood across the country.

"NASCAR is great entertainment, but it's also much more.It's a commitment. A commitment to the sport of stock car racing, to a family of competitors and fans, and to the excellence of performance."

-- Bill France, Jr.