National Organization for Vehicular Automotive Racing

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The National Organization for Vehicular Automotive Racing (or NOVAR)is a North-American racing series mainly based in Columbia,SC. It started in 1963. 2015 will be the league's 52th year in Competition with 3 national and 7 regional leagues. 
== Founding of NOVAR, First Season ==
Four brothers known as Richard, Dale, Allen and Robert Antoure were just four guys that had no job and were living as a poor lifestyle. However on January 3,1963, one of there friends, Clarien Alexander had his house go up in flames and the house was destroyed by the fire.Since Alexander was a racing fan, The four brothers, decided to host a charity race at Langhorne Speedway, the race witch had 16 drivers show up and Robert Andrews winning in his #27 car.Their father Henry, had saw interest in starting the league. Calling it the NOVAR Grand Cup. Its first season kicked off with 20 drivers on the roster and 14 of the 16 drivers had returned to the league.The five race schedule included Langhorne,Martinsville,Dakota Raceway,Richmond and Darlington. Richard Antoure won the first ever NGCS championship driving the #01 Pontiac.
==Rest of 1960's==
The Daytona International Speedway found interest in the league after the league ended its first season in 1963.Henry found interest in the venue placement and it was the third race of 5.Andy Klinger becomes the first ever driver to get turned over in a race at Daytona after being hit by Lawrence Hover(#14).Shane Clarke I joins NOVAR and finishes 3rd in points following Gran Scribett and Tom Pearson. Schedule expands to seven races as Atlanta and Charlotte are added, Andy Klinger becomes the first driver to win more than one championships scoring 3 wins in the process.Schedule expands to 10 races,with North Winsburo,South Boston,and Myrtle Beach being added. Shane Clarke I wins 6 of the ten to run with first of 8 Championships.Shortly after the 1967 season,Langhorne had decided to cut back to just only have to run a mid-season race. Daytona becomes the season opener as a result. Second year veteran Mark Richardson wins that race and wins 4 others to win the championship for 1968. In 1969 saw more improvement as Talladega was added. That race was won by Andy Klinger, meanwhile, Shane Clarke I wins 3 races to grab the 1969 championship.
==1970's==
Richard Antoure decides to return to NOVAR,only to win 6 races to his second championship ever in the league.The following year, Shane Clarke I makes history by winning his third championship in only his 7th year in competition.In 1972,Grand Detour replaced Dakota Raceway due to budget issues with the Dakota Raceway. Shane Clarke I won the race. Richard's cousin, Mike Antoure, won the championship, driving a second AR car numbered 65.During the 1973 season Wrangler Jeans, which sponsored the #01 at the time had announced a lifetime deal with the NCS(The deal officially lasted 24 years.) but SCI won his 4th championship by only 17 points. SCI made more history as he won back-to-back titles in '73 and '74. The following season was the first season under the NOVAR Wrangler Cup Series banner.Robert Scott wins the 1975 championship by 137 points, highest distance til 1994 season.Schedule expands to 15 races and stays at 15 until 1990.Charles Hanson running under his own budget wins his first championship during the 1976 championship.SCI completely dominates most of the 1977 season. But a couple of crashes in the last 3 races unfortunatly makes him lose the championship to Robert Scott.Just prior to the 1978 season, Richard Antoure, NOVAR's orignal champion, had announced that he will retire after the 1977 season.Max Wesley would go on a be the driver for the 01 in 1978.Shane Clarke I would go on and win the 1978 championship. The 1979 championship was a shocker as Tom Pearson, who said he was retiring after the '79 season, would fend off Shane Clarke I to win his final championship.
==1980's==
With the success of the NWCS in the 70's, Dale Antoure (NOVAR's president at the time) wanted a league that developed drivers skills so they wouldn't be terrible in the Cup series, so in 1980, Dale had set up a league called the NOVAR GM Goodwrench Series was formed and had Max Wesley being the first champion of the series. In the cups, SCI wins the 1980 championship.
====Charles Hanson's Fatal Crash====
On the 22nd lap in 1981 Talladega 200, 1978 champion Charles Hanson running 7th trying to pass Randy Howard, as they got to the tri-oval, the the two made contact causing the 99's tire to go down. As the approached Turn 3. The tire finally gave way and Hansom smacked the Turn 3 wall at about 184 mph head-on, it took about 30 mins to get Hanson out of the car. Hanson was transported to a nearby hospital. Out of 35 cars, he was credited 31st. But 3 hours after the race, NOVAR officials had pronounced him as dead. As a result, beginning the 1982 season, they would upgrade to a more boxier car for 1982.
===Rest of 1980's===
Rick Johnson would take over the 99's equipment for 1981 after Talladega and would win the 1981 championship. 1982 sees the debut of the new boxier cars. Shane Clarke I and Ken Ross battle for the points lead for most of the 1982 season, But they accidentally take each other out in the last race. Grant Zukei, who was 35 points from first going into this race.Ended up finishing 3rd in race to win the 1982 championship.1983 had the debut of the Thunder Shootout, which had Shane Clarke I winning the race. Ken Ross gets redemption from '82, and wins the 1983 championship.1984 saw the last of Shane Clarke I and the first of Shane Clarke II.SCI won his final championship. 1985 saw second year competitor Shane Clarke II winning the Championship.Max Wesley dies after a crash during a NGMGWS race at Atlanta after being turned by Jacob Wallenstein.1986 sees the new entrance of Simon Antoure driving the 01.He would finish 5th in the standings.Mike Sanders wins the 1986 Championship. 1987 saw a Pearson return to championship form, however, it was Michael Pearson winning the championship.1988 had a dramatic finish to championship as Chris Caffen takes the checker flag at the newly bulit New York Autoring to grab the 1988 championship after Ken Ross had dominated the season.1989 would have Ken Ross back in victory lane for championship perch for the #4 Mountain Dew Chevy.
==1990's==
The 1990's decade began with a bang as Ken Ross repeats as championship marking the first time since SCI did it back in '73 and '74 seasons.It had also saw the debut of the NOVAR Lumber Liquidators Truck Series seeing Greg Wykes being the inaugural champion of that series.1991 had Dan Wykes winning the NOVAR Wrangler Cup Series and the Aarons Light Series in the same year,Indianapolis hits the NOVAR calender for the first time,Ken Ross won the race.1992 saw Mack Hamlin,running the #28 Miller Lite Ford for NeonZone Racing takes ROTY honors by a landslide over his teammate,Thomas Lawyers.Shane Clarke II won the '92 cup.1993 had NOVAR's third fatality at Michigan,Greg Wykes had his throttle stuck on his #29 Ford and hit the turn 3 wall at about 187mph, killing him instantly. Just two years after winning ROTY honors by landslide, Mack Hamlin would win his first championship by 231 points in 1994.1995 saw the road courses being put in place for the NWCS races,Watkins Glen was the first race,Shane Clarke II won after Thomas Lawyers overan the bus stop. Chris Caffen would win the championship after winning Martinsville and Darlington.1996 had seen the return of Mack Hamlin's dominance, winning 6 races, including the last 4 of 5.1997 had history broken all over the place,Shane Clarke II won the championship by 177 points (the most out of the 98's championships), and Chadler Blake joins ROTY and wins 3 races in the process, claiming ROTY honors being the first Canadian to win a race and grab ROTY honors.1998 had the most competitive championship battle in recent memories, where Chadler Blake,SCI,Mack Hamlin,Thomas Lawyers, and Chris Caffen would swap the points lead several times in a race and after races, in the end, Chadler Blake won, by just only 9 points, closest in NOVAR history until the 2014 season. The NOVAR East and West Series made their debut on the track that year.The end of '90s had Wrangler ending the 24 year long contract, and cell-phone company Alltel would take over as primary sponsor for NCS begining in 2000.Shane Clarke II finished the decade by winning the championship.
==2000's==
Like the 1990's, the decade began with a bang as Shane Clarke II won his second straight championship, plus the debut of the Fedex All-American Series and Lowes Modified Tour.2001 had Chadler Blake dominate '01, Chris Caffen is severely injured at Daytona after he hit the turn 4 wall on the final lap.2002 had SCII back victory lane in the championship perch ,as Michael Scott enters ROTY for 2002, and wins 5 races. 2003 saw a lopsided championship battle as Chadler Blake took the points lead after race 3, and ran away with with a 292 point gap over Anna Nicole.2004 had Shane Clarke II winning the championship also doing it in 2005, but what would happen in 2006 would devastate the NOVAR Community.
====Shane Clarke II's Fatal Crash====
Just about to complete 48 laps in the 2006 Old Spice 250 at Chicagoland Speedway, Thomas Lawyers and Michael Scott were racing hard for 13th, as both came out of turn 4. Lawyers made contact with Michael's #47 Chevy which the sent the 47 spinning into the 98, the 98 hit the out side wall at about 120 mph giving him a headache, when the car came stop, Clarke unbuckled his seatbelt, at the same time, David Peteyon was clipped by the 47 and was sent straight into drivers door on the 98, destroying the car. Peteyon came to stop shortly before he entered turn 1.The red flag was out for about 45 mins to get all three drivers out of the cars. Then 30 mins shortly after the race,which was won Rondal Portland. NOVAR president Ike Kendall Sr., had announced that SCII was dead. Many fans of the SCII,and drivers were devastated that the loss had happen, Michael Scott later admitted that he was turned by the 16 and the 24 had nowhere to go. From that point in the 2006 season, the 98 was closed down for the rest of the year. Steven Volk then had annoucned he would have a speical LL scheme, almost like the SCII ran for most of his career at the 2006 all-star race, Volk went on to win the that race. Thomas Lawyers would win the championship despite causing the SCII fatal wreck.
===2007-2009===
Shane Clarke III made his debut in the NACS finishing 9th in the standings,Eddie Johns won the 2007 championship after getting 3 victories.2008 saw more history happen as Michael Scott won his first champion becoming the second 2nd generation driver to win the championship, claiming 5 races in the process. 2009 saw Michael Scott dominating the second half of the 2009 season, but came short to rookie Mark Mongillo winning the championship,being the first rookie to win the championship, first time that a team finished 1-2 in points as Shell Motorsports got Mongillo and Scott finishing 1-2 in points, and Mongillo was the first driver to not win any races to win the championship.
==2010's==
The 2010 was filled with surprises as Cameron Brooks wins a crash-heavy Daytona 250 after holding off, George Davids and Luke Warren.Chadler Blake dominates 2010 and wins 3 races at Californa, Chicagoland, and Gateway. However, Brian Kittleson, who hasn't been good as of consistency would win his first NVCS championship by 25 points over #07 Eric Webler. 
The 2011 had the most competitive season with 25 different winners. Shane Hardon pulls upset wins at Daytona and Darlington.Mack Hamlin is severely injured in a wreck during a Qualifying race at Talladega but comes back in time for the All-Star event.David Peteyon and Eddie Johns get into a fight after they took each other out at Charlotte, Josh Mertz won that race. The series runs its first race at the Coulmbia Speedway(won by #14-Luke Warren) and Dentsville Superspeedway(won by #57-Shane Hardon) Gordon Billard also wins two races at Atlanta and Texas World. Eddie Johns has Shane Hardon take out Shane Clarke III at Homestead causing John's win to be stripped. The season marks a record with 25 different winners. Shane Clarke III edges out Jarrod Landsoll to win the 2011 title by 36 points. A more boxer car was unveiled and had Pontiac return to replace Toyota after disputes, but comes back in 2014. Gordon Billard won 3 races over the year, but Chadler Blake held off Scott Harper to win his fourth title, and snapped the streak of first time champions at 6, with the last non first-timer won it in 2005, the championship was Blake's fourth. 
The 2013 season saw the introduction of overtime, which was very similar to Green-White-Checkereds, the first race it was used was at Chicago, where the race was extended to 6 laps (or 2 OT's at 1.5 tracks) to have a total of 126 laps, that race was won by Logan Chin. The largest comeback in NOVAR history would also happen as David Peteyon, who was down by 94 points (or 470 points based on old system) going into the Camden weekend, came back to win the title by 13 points over Mike Hogan, while at that same time span Shane Hardon blew a 85 point lead(or a 425 point lead using old points), to lose it at the Texas weekend. A similar situation happened the following year, as Chadler Blake blew a 39 point lead with 2 races remaining to finish 3rd in the championship, while at the same time, Cody Wyke and Shane Nargon (Silver Green teammates at the time) clash to tie in the championship standings, Nargon won the championship by virtue of a tiebreaker based off of wins (2 to 0), after Nargon passed Walter Youthan on the final lap at Columbia. 
MONSTER Energy Racing (formerly Mobil 1 Racing), gets off to hot start in 2015, winning four of the first six races, and 8 of the last 10 races dating back to Mosport of 2014, the team will eventually win 10 of the 25 races that year (4 with Shane Hardon, 3 with Scott Johnson, 2 with Eddie Johns, and 1 with Kyra Youthan). Keith Batson is killed in an accident on lap 20 of the Gamestop Truck Series race at Blue Ridge. Scott Johnson wins 3 second half races (Sonoma, Homestead, and Phoenix), and used consistency and a brilliant but risky pit strategy at Columbia to take his first title over Shane Hardon by 6 points. Johnson would also have a shot to grab his second title the following year, but lost it to Shane Nargon, who would grab his second title in 3 years, 
===2017===
This season introduced a triple crown playoff. The 2017 season sees the series runs its 1,000th race at Talladega, which saw a crash on the final lap take out 25 cars leaving Caroline Slavotoriz getting her first career win. Meanwhile, Shane Hardon scores a staggering 7 wins to grab his long awaited first title over teammate Chris Clark in the final, and winning the triple crown in the first year of existence.
==Also see==
NOVAR Branches of Leagues
Tracks that NOVAR uses