Motorsports such as, drag racing, Formula One Racing, and Indy Car Racing are all popular in the United States, but the most popular form of car racing is stock car racing. Stock cars were very similar to conventional cars when the sport first began around the time of World War II. They were Fords or Chevrolets, or Dodges that looked like the mass produced cars that anyone could own. But over the years, stock cars drivers and owners increasingly modified their cars to increase their speed and safety. Now stock cars bear only a superficial resemblance to the cars coming off production lines in Detroit. Originally run on dirt racetracks or even beaches, stock car races now take place on huge steep-banked “superspeedways.” Stock car racing began in the southern United States: the biggest race events, such as the Daytona 500 in Florida and the World 600 in North Carolina, are still held in that region. The biggest championship in stock car racing is the NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) championship. It is the most popular racing series and draws well over 6 million spectators yearly. In 2002, out of the 20 top attended US sporting events, 17 were NASCAR races. Only football had more television viewers that year.