Episode Details

Big Bill vs. the Brotherhood: NASCAR’s War on Unions

Season 2 Episode 15 Published 1 year, 2 months ago

Description

Unlike the NFL, MLB, or even Formula 1, NASCAR has never had a drivers’ union, but not for lack of trying. In the early 1960s, Hall of Famer Curtis Turner joined forces with the Teamsters in a bold push to organize the garage area — a move that got him blacklisted by the sport he helped build. Over the years, similar efforts were quietly floated and just as quickly shut down.

Why has unionization never gained a foothold in stock car racing? What were the drivers asking for — and what is NASCAR so afraid of?

In this episode, we’ll trace the roots of NASCAR’s labor resistance, and unpack how the sport’s Southern identity, family-owned governance, and rapid commercialization combined to make organizing nearly impossible.

This is the story of the union that never was.

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